Ready for Anything
by anonymousgg
Summary: COLLABORATION STORY between Anonymousgg16 and AshleyWheeler1. What really happened during the revival that we didn't see? And how will it be handled afterwards? Follow Rory as she works up the courage to confront the father of her child, and as they learn to navigate their new lives as expectant parents. Will she raise this baby as a single parent or get her happy ending?
1. Chapter 1

**Thank you for checking out our collaboration - it's between anonymousgg16 and AshleyWheeler1. We have been working on and perfecting this story for the last couple of weeks and it's been so much fun! We hope you enjoy it!**

I was sitting on the table of the exam room, in nothing but a paper blanket over my lap and my shirt, smelling the sterile surroundings, and twisting my hands together nervously as I waited for the doctor to enter the room.

There was a soft knock on the door that nearly made me jump out of my skin, and the doctor entered the room. She was a tiny, blonde haired woman with caring eyes. She looked to be about my mom's age.

"Lorelai Gilmore? I'm Doctor Abbott, it's nice to meet you" she said, extending her hand.

I accepted the handshake and nervously corrected her. "I actually go by Rory. My mom's also a Lorelai and it gets confusing" I rambled.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Rory, and I'll take good care of you. Will the father be coming or should we go ahead and get started?" She asked.

I closed my eyes tightly at the mention of the father and sighed. "No, I haven't told him yet, and he's in London right now" I said barely above a whisper.

She smiled warmly and nodded without hesitation. She walked over to a machine with a small TV screen on it and powered it on.

"So we did the urine test with the sample you provided, and congratulations! You're still pregnant! Now why don't we have a look at this little one and get you some pictures to take home?" She asked as if assuming I would be ecstatic like most first time mothers.

I just nodded and followed her instructions at the extremely uncomfortable situation of getting my first internal ultrasound.

She flipped a switch on the machine and the image was projected onto a larger monitor in front of me on the wall, and I could see everything she was doing at an amplified size.

She seemed surprised when she was able to locate it right away. "You said your last period was how long ago?" She asked.

"My last one was September 17th, if I remember right - but it was spotty. And it was shorter than normal. Why?" I asked, completely clueless.

"Rory, dear, you're not four weeks pregnant" she said.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I must have added wrong. I'm still really confused by all of this - it was about two weeks ago since the last time I was active - does that help?" I asked.

"Well, no, not really. When was the last time you had sex before that?" She asked.

"Be...fore… that?" I asked cautiously.

"Your baby is measuring at eight weeks, so I think your spotting was just that, and not a real period. Implantation bleeding is very common, especially for first time mothers, and the period you described seems to have fit the bill. Now, based on this… your estimated due date is May 26th, so it looks like you're going to have a Memorial Day baby!" She said excitedly.

The color drained from my face - the truth hit me like a ton of bricks.

"So I conceived this baby…" I trailed off.

"By my calculations, somewhere around Labor Day. Big holiday weekend celebration?" she asked with a laugh.

"Uh, yeah, something like that," I muttered, suddenly feeling very sick to my stomach.

"I'm sorry, I think I'm going to be sick," I whispered, trying to take deep breaths.

Dr. Abbott quickly finished her measurements and let me up just in time for me to make it to the trashcan before emptying my stomach.

"Oh, sweetie. Has the morning sickness been bad?" she asked sympathetically.

"No, that's the first time I've gotten sick," I told her as I pulled myself together.

"You're so lucky!" she offered cheerfully.

"Yeah, really lucky," I answered sarcastically, but she didn't seem to notice the despondent tone of my voice.

Fifteen minutes later, I got into my car with my prescription for prenatal vitamins and my next appointment made. As I sat there numb, tears began to streak down my face. I laid my head down on the steering wheel as sobs wracked my body. This wasn't part of the plan. I wasn't supposed to be doing this alone, and it wasn't supposed to be happening now. I was in denial until I heard that whooshing heartbeat, certain that it had to be some mistake, but the minute that sound filled the exam room I had to face reality. I was going to be a mother, and the father of my baby wasn't my boyfriend or my fiance or my husband. No, that would be simple compared to the reality of this situation. All I could think of was how in the world I was going to turn his life upside down and tell him that he was going to be a father.

I slowly picked up my phone and stared at it for what felt like hours before scrolling through my contacts and finding his name. I took a deep breath and summoned all of the courage in my trembling body and hit the call button. After it rang once I panicked and hit the end button as soon as I could make my fingers cooperate and took several deep breaths while giving myself a pep talk. I couldn't do what Anna had done to Luke; I had to tell him that he was going to be a father. After several minutes, I pressed call again and held my breath as I waited. Voicemail.

"Hey, it's me…Rory... I...I really need to talk to you, and it's really important. So please, call me when you get this, okay? Please? It's important - I know I already said that, but it really is" I took a deep breath, trying to stop my tears. "I guess you're probably busy at work - it's a weekday after all…. okay I'm rambling so I'm just - I'm gonna go, but please call me. Okay, bye…" I said and hung up.


	2. Chapter 2

Logan and Odette were seated in a private room at one of their favorite pubs in London, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. They talked comfortably, trying to make the best of their situation and become friends, at the very least. Both had long since resigned themselves to following through with the dynastic plan.

"I got fitted for my tux today," Logan told her awkwardly.

"Good," Odette trailed off. "I have my final dress fitting later this week, and the girls will have their final fittings at the same time. When will the guys have their fittings?"

"Tomorrow, actually. I have a big meeting at work and couldn't get away at the same time, which is why I went today," Logan replied as he took another drink of his pint of beer.

"Good. I think we'll be finished with the preparations after fittings. So everyone will be here for three days this week and then fly back the week of the wedding, right?"

"Yes, I made arrangements for them all to fly over together on the family jet three days before the wedding," Logan confirmed.

"Twelve days," Odette said nervously.

"Twelve days," he echoed.

"Are you ready?"

"Honestly? No, I'm not, but I'm going to do it anyway," he chuckled.

"I'll drink to that," Odette answered as she took another sip of her drink.

Just then, Robert and Juliet walked in, hand in hand. Logan smiled when he saw his friends - this was the first time he'd seen them together as a couple, although they've been dating each other for quite a while now.

Logan stood up and embraced them both, and Odette addressed them each with friendly smiles and greetings, before inviting them to sit down and join them.

"Okay, let me remember. Robert? And...Juliet, right?" Odette asked, genuinely trying to take an interest in Logan's life and his friends.

"Yes! It's nice to see you again, Odette! Are you getting nervous? The big day is so close!" Juliet said excitedly.

"Nervous excitement would be about how I would describe myself right now, but I got pretty lucky. Logan is a very sweet guy. Things definitely could've gone a lot worse" Odette said with a sincere smile at Logan.

Logan gave Odette a grateful smile and hesitantly reached over and set his hand on hers, loosely entwining their fingers together and breathing a sigh of relief when she wrapped her fingers around his.

"Hey! I see Finn and Steph!" Juliet exclaimed, and the whole gang filed in - Finn and Stephanie with Colin and Rosemary behind them. They made their way to the table and everyone hugged and greeted each other warmly as if they hadn't seen each other in years. After they had all all settled into their seats, Logan addressed the group.

"Odette and I just really want to thank you all for being here with us this week and for all of the wedding festivities in a couple of weeks. We know that our relationship is...unusual...in this day and time, and having your support means a lot to us. To lifelong friends," he proposed as he held his glass up.

"To lifelong friends," they all returned as they clinked glasses and took a drink.

"So, Finn. Still have your heart set on being the eternal bachelor? Even I have settled down," Robert goaded Finn.

"I just haven't found the one worth settling down with," Finn lamented with his typical dramatics. "They're all either crazy, clingy, or taken."

"I heard you haven't been out on a date in a while," Colin pointed out.

"I just haven't been in the mood for it. I could go out every night if I wanted to," Finn replied in mock offense.

"We've all settled down with someone from the group, other than Logan who has the lovely Odette. I married Steph, Robert and Juliet have been together for a while, and Rosemary is even seeing Seth from time-to-time," Colin told Finn.

"Well, it seems we ran out of friends before I got paired off," Finn huffed.

"What about Reporter Girl?" Rosemary asked, causing Colin and Logan to become deathly silent and Finn to almost spit his beer across the table.

"What? What'd I say?" She asked innocently, her eyes wide with bewilderment at their reactions.

"Come on now, we all know Reporter Girl is too good for Mr. I-Refuse-To-Settle-Down" Robert teased.

"Well, I miss her! She was a really good friend" Stephanie said sadly.

Odette clearly didn't get the reference of who they were talking about. "Who's Reporter Girl?" She asked, not wanting to be left out of the loop. Suddenly everyone got quiet again.

"It's okay, guys. She knows about Rory" Logan said softly.

"Oh… Yeah. I just didn't realize she had a group-wide nickname is all" she said, trying to pass herself off as unaffected, but Logan felt her tense next to him, and she pulled her hand away from his.

"It's been over since before we talked, O. She's in the past. I gave you my word, and we're in this together now," he whispered in her ear so that only she could hear. She leaned into him slightly and gave him a grateful nod at his reassurance. Odette was not a woman who was accustomed to feeling insecure, but it wasn't easy to know that she was marrying a man who'd been in love with another woman for over a decade.

"So! Let's change the subject! Are there any last minute wedding details you need help ironing out!?" Stephanie asked Odette.

The conversation continued as Finn's phone rang. He glanced at the device in his hand and sighed at the caller ID which simply just said "Her". He ended the call almost immediately and the rest of the group looked at him.

"Who was that?" Colin asked, seeing the surprised expression on his face.

"It was no one I need to talk to right now" he admitted truthfully.

"You okay?" Logan asked, smirking a bit.

"Of course, I'm fine, Mate" Finn said with a laugh, taking a drink of his beer.

He carried on with the conversation, assuming she would just leave a voicemail if it was anything important.


	3. Chapter 3

The boys had all been fitted for their tuxes, including Seth, who had arrived early that morning, and were now setting up for Logan's stag party. Odette and Logan had both insisted that the party not be too wild, so the rest of the boys had begrudgingly settled for a night of poker and an excessive amount of scotch before meeting the girls at a local club to end the night together.

"Boys," Colin called from the living room of the suite in their hotel, "we seem to need more scotch and snacks for the night. Seth and Robert, can you make a run for supplies?"

"I can do it," Finn cut in.

"Nah, man. I need your help with something here. Let those two go," Colin insisted.

Seth and Robert quickly left the suite to head out in search of additional supplies and Colin stopped Finn as he was walking out of the room.

"So, who's the new lady in your life?" Colin asked Finn. Finn stopped dead in his tracks when he heard the question, trying hard to look aloof.

"What makes you think there's a new lady in my life, mate?" Finn asked.

"Just a hunch...and I saw your caller ID last night at dinner."

"What?"

"I saw that your caller ID said "Her". Who's the lucky lady?"

"Just someone I know, Colin. It's nothing serious," Finn replied, brushing Colin off.

"You sure? Because "Her" seems pretty illusive for a person who doesn't matter much" Colin said.

"Nah, just a girl I thought things could happen with, but she's still hung up on her ex, so it never went as far as I would've liked" Finn explained.

"But you still wish she could've been more?" Colin asked.

Finn shrugged. "It's not like I'm pining away for her, but she would've been a nice girl to settle down with, if I were into that sort of thing, you know" he said with a laugh, but Colin could see the pain in his eyes.

"You're Finn Morgan, ladies' man. Surely you can woo this girl if she means so much to you," Colin pressed.

"Look, it just won't work okay?" Finn almost yelled exasperatedly.

"Why not?" Colin continued.

"Because it just won't okay?! No matter what I do, she'll never see me as someone she could have an actual relationship with. Who in the bloody hell knows why she was calling. I need to just let it go, mate," Finn spit out, hoping Colin could take the hint and end the conversation.

"Okay, well, I hope things work out, but if they don't, it's not like you're hurting for options" Colin relented, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Yeah well, maybe it's time I start seeing some of those other options and move on with my life, because if this is what caring for someone feels like then I'm out. It just hurts too damn much," Finn said bitterly, downing the rest of his scotch in one drink and slamming the glass down before walking out of the room.

Logan walked into the suite, happy to see that his friends cared enough about him to honor his request for a simple guys' night, with nothing crazy - and poker was always a hit amongst them. They had booze, music and his best friends - he couldn't have asked for a better send-off.

Robert and Seth came back in a moment later with bags full of alcohol.

"What did you do, buy out the entire store? There are only 6 of us!" Colin teased.

"Not like we can't leave it here for the wedding night so we have extra provisions!" Seth said with a shrug.

Finn, who was already pretty inebriated, stood up and cleared his throat. "I want to kick the night off with a toast to my dear friend, Logan, and seeing as how I wasn't deemed mature enough to make the _real_ toast, I figured I should let you in on what you'll be missing" he started.

"Uh oh, how much has he had to drink already?" Robert teased.

Finn just ignored the comment and continued. "You see, Logan and I go way back and he is one of my dearest friends - and because he's one of my dearest friends, we've shared a lot over the years. Some he was willing, some he wasn't, but all in all, our friendship is very important to me and has helped shape us into the men we both are today. Now, it seems that you would have it all. The love of a beautiful woman, a promising career, and a family that finally approves of your choice of a woman, even if it was formulated on business, she has wound up being one hell of a woman that I feel lucky to have gotten to know. I hope she makes you so happy that you forget about all the silly conquests you had, and all about Reporter Girl, and that you're able to focus on having a healthy relationship with someone new. Odette is a good match for you, and I wish you nothing but happiness together. To the luckiest bastard in the world!" He said, holding a drink up and they all froze, looking at him for a moment before doing the same, and taking a drink from their glasses.

"Wow. Good call not having this guy in charge of the real toast!" Josh said teasingly, and they all laughed at the comment, the tension having been broken.

"Gentlemen, get ready to hand me all of your money," Robert stated in his usual cocky fashion. "Let's play some poker!"

The boys quickly sat around the table with their drinks and each bought into the game, giving Logan a hard time about the upcoming wedding night as they stacked and counted their chips.

"How does it feel to know that you'll only sleep with one woman for the rest of your life?" Robert ribbed Logan.

"Oh come on, Robert - this is society - no one in their right mind ever only sleeps with one woman for the rest of their lives" Seth deadpanned.

"Some of us actually happen to love the women we are with, though, Seth. There's a difference" Colin teased.

"I'm not gonna lie, boys - it's a little scary," Logan confessed with a chuckle. "It's been a long time since I've been in a committed relationship."

"Let's quit listening to Logan's sob story and play the damn game," Finn groaned exasperatedly.

"Just because you're not getting any doesn't mean you have to be a spoilsport" Colin teased.

"Boom! Read 'em and weep, boys! Royal flush!" Seth exclaimed. "Winner winner chicken dinner!" He said, sweeping the pile to him.

"You cheated!" They all exclaimed, throwing down their cards, although it was all said in fun.

An hour later, Finn threw down his cards and stood up.

"It's time for you all to meet your other halves and for me to go find Miss Right-Now. Let's get out of here, boys."


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey, kid! I can't believe we're getting into crunch time! Are you ready to stuff our stomachs full of cake samples!? I can't wait!" Lorelai gushed as I walked in the room. It was rare to see her this cheerful.

"Yeah, but where's Luke? Isn't he going to come with us?" I asked, looking around.

"Have you _met_ your soon-to-be step-daddy before? Luke _hates_ sweets! And wedding planning... and leaving the diner with Caesar… Besides, this is a job for professionals, and let me tell you, Gilmores are as professional as cake testers come" she said. I couldn't help but to shake my head at her and laugh.

"Come on! We're going to be late!" She exclaimed, pushing me out of the house, and into the car.

Mom and I pulled up to Weston's and walked inside. We didn't even have to announce ourselves, as they already had our samples out and waiting for us.

"Now that's service!" My mom said to me with a wink.

She and I sat down, as we started to eat the vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream first, since it was the mildest flavor.

"I like it... but it's vanilla, so it's a bit hard to screw that up…" she said.

"I definitely think we could find something more interesting" I encouraged.

"Let's move on to the chocolate then, and then we'll try the more funky flavors after that!" She said.

We each took a forkful of chocolate cake with the same buttercream icing, and it was good, again, but still wasn't overly special.

"I want fireworks to explode in my mouth with every bite and this just isn't it" she complained.

"Okay, so what do you want to try next?" I asked her.

We tried lemon with raspberry filling, almond with a chocolate hazelnut filling, mocha with a chocolate caramel filling, lemon with a custard filling, a pound cake with strawberry filling, and coffee cake with a cream cheese filling.

I took a bite of the coffee cake, expecting it to be one of my favorites, and all of a sudden, the taste on my tongue was one of the worst tastes I'd ever had. I quickly brought my hand to my mouth and with my eyes wide, I made a beeline for the bathroom, as mom sat there bewildered, watching me in confusion. "I didn't think it was that bad!" She mumbled to herself as she took another bite.

After a few moments, I made my way back to the table where my mom was looking at me with a raised eyebrow. "So I guess that one doesn't get your vote?" She teased.

"No, definitely not. I guess this Gilmore's stomach isn't quite as indestructible as yours is today," I replied glumly.

"You feeling okay, sweets?" Mom asked, concern lacing her voice.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. So, which cake is the favorite?" I asked, trying desperately to change the subject. I hadn't wrapped my head around things quite enough to talk to her about why I wasn't feeling well.

"It's a tough choice, but given your guttural reaction, pun totally intended, to the coffee cake I'm going to go with the mocha with the chocolate caramel filling. What do you think?"

"I think that's perfect! Maybe for Luke's groom cake you should go with the pound cake with strawberry filling? At least then he can fool himself into thinking it's healthier since it has fruit in it."

"Ah, Mommy has taught you well. The student has become the master," Lorelai teased. After a moment of silence, Lorelai spoke quietly. "Everything's changing, kiddo. You're home, Emily moved to Nantucket, I'm getting married. It's a lot to take in," Lorelai reflected quietly.

"Yeah, it really is," I whispered, laying my hand lightly on my still-flat stomach without thinking about it.

"How are you doing with all of it?"

"I...I don't know. Like you said, it's a lot, but we'll always have each other, right? No matter what?" My mind flashed to how much I would need my mom and Luke's support in the coming months.

"Of course we will, Ror," she assured me. "It will always be you and me, kiddo, no matter what."

"Well, we should probably leave for Hartford if we're going to get the wedding registry taken care of today," I said, changing the subject before my emotions got the best of me. As Mom went to the counter to finalize the cake orders, I subtly wiped the tears that were threatening to form in my eyes and couldn't help but look at my phone again, trying to magically will it to ring. I desperately needed to talk to him. Not hearing from him was eating at me, and I wouldn't be able to relax until I could talk to him.

"You ready to go, kid?" Mom asked, breaking me out of my daze. I looked up at her and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm ready" I said, standing up.

She didn't say it, but I knew that on some level she knew, that something wasn't quite right with me today.

Mom and I walked into the store, where we were equipped with our scan guns and mom proceeded to try and have a laser fight with me, making "pew pew" noises every time she was aiming at me.

I laughed and rolled my eyes. "You are just an overgrown child, aren't you?" I teased.

"I just know how to turn a boring situation into a fun one! I mean, this is the worst thing ever, but Emily insisted her friends would _demand_ a registry. She'll be in for a surprise, that's for sure!" She said.

"Surprise?" I asked amusedly.

"Luke and I have been living together for years - we have everything we need. Now, since I'm being forced to register, I'm asking for fun, awesome things I don't need but want, but Luke would kill me if I bought them myself!" She explained.

"You're going to give grandma a heart attack, mom" I teased her.

She smiled back at me evilly. "Ah, so my plan should work"

She started with an array of small appliances - a Twinkie maker, a 3D latte art gun, caramel and candy apple maker…

"Mom! You won't even use that!" I exclaimed, suddenly craving an apple.

"I won't eat the apple, it's just the vessel! I'll eat the stuff outside the apple, and then repeat!" She exclaimed.

I laughed, as she started on another scanning spree - ice cream sandwich maker, a taco toaster, an espresso picnic set…

"You're out of control, mother!" I teased her.

"Oh, these are perfect! I absolutely need these!" She said, holding up a mug set.

"Don't you have enough coffee mugs, mom?" I asked her with a laugh.

"Of course! But these are dirty coffee mugs" she said with a wink.

"My man is just like my coffee…" I started, reading the first one. "Hot, strong and able to keep me up? Ew, mom! That's Luke you're talking about!" I shuddered.

"Oh I know, Sweets. I know" she said as she scanned the barcode.

I just rolled my eyes and she gasped.

"What?" I asked in concern.

"Oh my god" she said as if she'd seen the Holy Grail.

"What?" I asked, laughing a little.

"Oh. My. _God_!" She exclaimed again.

" _What_!?" I asked again.

She could only point at the Star Trek mini fridge. "Your new daddy needs this in all his dorky Trekkie-dom!" She said, barely above a whisper as she scanned the barcode.

"Oh my god, Mom" I laughed. "He's going to kill you. That's it - I'm cutting you off. Hand over the scanner and no one will get hurt" I ordered, returning the scanners to customer service and pulling her out of the store. She was enjoying this far too much.


	5. Chapter 5

I was sitting in the kitchen the next morning when Mom walked in for her first cup of coffee for the day.

"Rory, sweets, you do realize that you're eating an apple, don't you?" she asked quizzically.

I knew immediately that it was time to have the conversation I'd been trying to wrap my head around. I had hoped to have talked to the father to know where things stood first, but fate didn't seem to be on my side.

"Mom, maybe you should sit down" I whispered, giving myself a pep talk in my head.

"Is everything okay, Ror? You're scaring...oh my god. You're eating an apple. Are you…?"

"I am," I whispered, looking down at the kitchen table in front of me. I didn't want to see the disappointment in her eyes.

"Oh, kiddo. How are you feeling about all of this? I didn't even know you were seeing anyone. How could I not know that my daughter was seeing someone? Oh my god, I've turned into Emily Gilmore! I don't even know my own kid" Lorelai ranted.

"Mom, calm down. I'm not really seeing anyone, so you didn't miss anything."

"Well, unless it was immaculate conception, there has to be someone."

"There is, or there _was_. It was a one night stand."

"Wow, you wait until you're 32 to have your first one night stand and then make it two within the year. So, who is this guy?"

"I...I can't tell you right now, Mom. I haven't been able to get in touch with him, and I really feel like I should talk to him before I tell anyone else who the father is."

"But it's someone you know?" She asked.

"Yes, I've known him for a long time" I tried to assure her.

"Do I know him?" She asked, trying to squeeze out as much information as she could before I'd stop her.

"Vaguely" I answered.

"So it's not an ex?" She asked.

I shook my head. "No, we were literally only together the one time. I _thought_ it was Logan's from when he and the boys picked me up a few weeks ago, but the dates don't add up, it was the other guy" I said.

She sighed, but then realized I knew an awful lot about dates adding up, "You've been to the doctor?"

"Yes. A couple of days ago" I whispered, knowing she would be livid that I would wait to tell her. But she wasn't. She was very lucid. Scarily so.

"Did you have an ultrasound?" She asked.

I nodded and got up to get the photo album I'd bought to keep the pictures safe. I sat back down and handed her the book. She flipped through the pictures, without saying a word, and then she closed it. She didn't look up, and she didn't speak. I've never seen her quite like this before.

"I know it's a lot to take in…" I whispered, trying to break the silence.

She drew in a deep breath and sighed loudly. "Yeah. You've got that right" she said, still in shock. "So…. when will the littlest Gilmore be making his or her debut?"

"May 27th" I whispered. Lorelai nodded and was still in a silent shock. "Mom, I'm _sorry_ …" I whispered, tears coming to my eyes.

This made her wake up. "Sorry? Why are you sorry? Rory, you're a grown woman! A Yale graduate for crying out loud. I'm not disappointed in you! Shocked and surprised, sure - but it's not like you're 16 and it happening to you... I mean, marriage or at least a committed relationship would have been ideal, but I'm not judging you. And I am here for you. _Always_ , kid!" She promised.

Tears filled my eyes and she pulled me in for a hug. "I love you, mom" I whispered.

"I love you, too, sweets" she whispered back.

After a few more moments of silence, she pulled away from me a little to try again. "You're really not going to tell me who the father is?"

I laughed and shook my head. "No, mom" I said firmly.

"You're no fun now that you're going to be a mom" she teased, nudging my shoulder.

"Yeah well, you're going to be a grandma" I shot back.

"No! You take that back, young lady! I am far too young and beautiful to be a grandma. We have 7 months to find something else to call me, but I will not be grandma, understood?"

"Yes, mother" I chuckled.

"This is really happening. There will be four generations of Gilmores."

"That's what the stick and the ultrasound say" I confirmed.

"Have you told anyone else?"

"No, I wanted you to be the first person other than the father, although that "obviously hasn't worked out. I'll probably give it a bit more time before I tell anyone else" I replied.

"Ooh, can I be there when you tell my mom? I know she's the new Emily Gilmore who says "bullshit" like it's going out of style and wears tennis shoes, but I still want to watch that show" she said giddily.

"I'm so glad to know that my situation amuses you" I groaned. "What happened to being there for me?"

"Oh, I'll be there with bells on."

"Such an encouragement" I rolled my eyes.

"You know…. it's strange… nearly a year ago Luke and I were looking into surrogates to have a baby together - and now…. well… now we get one anyway - _and_ we don't even have to go through all the sleepless nights!" She said teasingly.

"Happy to help" I said with a small laugh. "But you realize I live here, and you may very well need to be my co-parent, so I wouldn't mouth off too much"

"Only when it doesn't interfere with my beauty sleep" she said.

"Nope. You wanted a child, you got a grandchild" I said with a satisfied smile.

"And the best co-parents we'll be. Unconventional - just like us!" She said.

"Thank you, mom. I could never do this without you."


	6. Chapter 6

A few mornings later, I walked out of my room and Luke was cooking breakfast. "I didn't expect you to still be home, I figured you'd head to the diner as soon as mom left for work" I said to him.

"Your mom thought you'd be hungry and so I offered to make you some breakfast before heading in" he said.

I smiled. "Thank you, but you know I could've just walked to the diner" I teased him.

"I know, but we're going to be family soon, and I wanted you to know that no matter what, I'll always be here for you. Even if it's just to make you breakfast before work" he said.

"That's really sweet. You try to pretend you're tough, but you're really just a closet softie" I teased him.

"Don't push it, or this will be the last time I do this" he muttered, handing me a plate with eggs and bacon.

"Thank you, Luke" I said, kissing him on the cheek. "Have you eaten yet? I'd like the company" I said.

"What the hell. Caesar will be good for another twenty minutes" he said, making himself a plate.

We sat in silence - not really what I would call an awkward silence, but a comfortable one. We both enjoyed that we could be close enough to not have to worry about conversation.

"I'm going to get some orange juice, you want some?" He asked, getting up from the table.

"Sure, thanks" I said. And as soon as he turned his back, I couldn't help the words coming out of my mouth. "Luke… Do you ever wish Anna would've told you about April when she was pregnant? So you could be there for it all? I mean, even if you never got back together?" I asked.

He froze in place and hesitated for a moment before closing the refrigerator door. "Absolutely, but you already knew that, didn't you? Why did you ask?" He said, coming back to the table with two glasses and the carton of juice.

"Well, I just wonder if you were happy in the time that you didn't know. Like, would knowing about April have made you happier during that timeframe?" I asked.

"It's hard to say whether or not it would've made me happier…" he trailed off, still not sure of the reasoning behind the questioning, "but no matter what it would've made me feel, I wish more than anything I could have been there to watch that girl grow up - be there for her when she needed me. Seriously, Rory, what's going on?" He asked.

"I'm just trying to decide if I should tell him or not…" I whispered.

"Tell him - who!? Tell who what!? What's going on!? Rory, are you - does your mother know!?" He stammered.

"Mom knows I am, but she's the only one who knows - and she doesn't know with who. I can't bring myself to tell anyone he's going to be a father before I tell him, but I don't know if I should…. I mean, he and I were never in a relationship…. and this very well might ruin his life…" I said.

"You have to tell him, Rory. You can't keep him from having the opportunity to know his kid, no matter the circumstances. You saw the aftermath of me finding out about April. You have to give him the choice" Luke stated firmly.

"I'm trying, Luke. I really am. I've called twice and left one message. How many times do I try to make contact before I realize that he's not going to be there with us?" I asked with tears in my eyes.

"If I was talking to Anna, I would tell her that she should have stood in the middle of my diner and yelled it at me with all of the crazies that live in this town watching if that was what it took."

"That's...extreme," I whispered.

"Yeah well, so is finding out you have a kid when she's almost a teenager. You have to do whatever it takes, and if he chooses to walk away then your mom and I will support you one hundred percent, but you can't decide it's easier to let us help you raise this kid and just cut him out of your lives."

"You're right. God, of course you're right. I guess I'll keep trying to get in touch with him, and I'll go stand in the middle of his office if I have to."

"That's the Rory I know" Luke said proudly. "You'll get in touch with him somehow, and then we'll all figure this out after you've talked to him. You don't have to make any decisions right now. Well, unless you're thinking about _not_ keeping…" he trailed off.

"No! God, no! I'm keeping the baby, that was never a question" I stated firmly.

"Good. Everything will work out for you one way or the other."

"I hope you're right" I whispered uncertainly.

"You know who you should talk to about this, and get another opinion from, is your dad. He was on the other side of the situation than I was, so maybe he has some insight different than mine that could help. But I still stand by what I said - you can't _not_ tell the guy. You have to give him a chance to make his own decision to be in or out" he suggested.

I nodded. "Yeah, I know you're right. I'll give my dad a call and see if he can meet with me soon. In the meantime, please keep this between mom, you and me for now. I don't want a spectacle - yet. I know it will be eventually. I just want to buy myself some time" I said.

"Your secret is safe with me, Rory. Always" he promised.

I smiled and he stood up from his seat and put his plate in the sink. "Alright, well, I need to head into work. I'm glad you were able to confide in me, Ror. I'm always here" he said, and walked out the kitchen door.


	7. Chapter 7

It was less than two hours until I was legally a husband, and I was honestly a nervous wreck.

"Logan, mate, you're going to walk a hole in the floor if you don't stop pacing" Finn told me.

"I can't help it, Finn. Talk to me on your wedding day and we'll see how cool you are under this kind of pressure. I'm about to have a wife, guys."

"Take a deep breath, Logan. Having a wife can be a great thing" Colin said.

"I don't love her. She doesn't love me. Not to sound like a lovesick girl, but this isn't the way that it's supposed to work."

"No, but it's the way it's going to work for you and Odette. She's a great girl, and you guys can build a happy life together. Saying "I do" is terrifying even under the best of circumstances, but you guys are going to be fine" Colin insisted.

"What if we're not?" I asked.

"You can't think like that, mate. You have to go into this completely committed to your relationship and ready to do whatever it takes to make it work" Finn commented.

"Brilliant relationship advice from the man who's bedded six different girls in the last week" Logan said snidely.

"It's still good advice" Finn pouted.

"I'm sure it is, Finn. This whole marriage is just such a sham. We're going to stand up there and listen to the minister talk about this great institution of marriage and love and how we're entering into this union willingly, and it's all bullshit. Our parents have never been happily married, and we're being forced into this because they want more money and more power. We're nothing more than pawns in this show, a couple of unwilling participants."

"Hey, you may not have chosen this, but you guys have done a pretty damn good job of starting to build a relationship. You'll figure it all out together. You guys have come a long way since the days of you both having your flings on the side. You're committed to each other and you're working to support one another. That's more than a lot of couples have going for them" Colin stated firmly.

"I can't do this, guys" Logan whispered. "I need to talk to Odette now. There are people everywhere, but I need you to help find a way to get us in the same room."

Odette stepped into her dress with the help of her sister and maid of honor, Gabrielle, and together they turned to the other bridesmaids who gasped at the sight of her. She was beautiful, there was no denying that.

"You seem so relaxed, how in the hell are you not freaking out right now?" Her friend Isabelle asked.

"I slipped her one of these" her other friend Catherine said, holding up a prescription pill bottle and shaking it with a wink. "She should be good to go until after the ceremony, at least."

Honor rolled her eyes and put on her best society smile. She didn't mind Odette, she was actually beginning to warm up to her a bit, but these other girls were just awful, and the accents were gritting on her last nerve.

There was a knock on the door and Stephanie opened it a crack. "Finn! What are you doing here!?" She hissed.

"I'm in need of speaking to the beautiful woman in white. It's urgent, concerning a certain husband-to-be" he said.

"Urgent?" Odette asked, showing the first signs of interest of Finn's appearance.

"Direly urgent, Love. He needs to have a word with you now. He says it's imperative and that it cannot wait" he said.

"And he sent you because…?" Honor asked.

"Well because I'm the most capable man for the job of coming into to a room full of beautiful women" he assured her with a wink.

"Finn, what is this _really_ about? Is this just an excuse to see me again after last night?" Gabrielle said, trying to be quiet.

He looked her up and down and licked his lips distractedly. "No, that's not it. He really does insist on speaking with you. Can I bring him in?" He said, snapping out of it.

"Is he calling the wedding off!?" Odette asked, suddenly getting very nervous.

"I think it's best he tell you himself, Love" he said.

"Yes, by all means, send him in. Please" she said.

A few moments later, Logan was shoved into the room without knocking. The girls were shocked, but luckily they were all dressed. He scanned the room and found Odette. Even he had to admit how gorgeous she looked, but the expression on her face was one full of worry. "Odette" he whispered.

"Logan, what's going on!?" She insisted.

He looked around, trying to find a place they could talk in private, only to find a conjoining bathroom. He pulled her inside and shut the door behind them.

"Logan, you're scaring me. I just need to know what's going on" she said.

"Odette - I don't love you" he started.

She looked offended for a quick moment but he cut her off.

"I don't, but I know that you don't love me either. I can promise you that I would like to get there someday, and that I'll spend every day trying to at least make you happy… You and I are in this together - this wasn't either of our first choices when we thought of the day we'd get married, but that just means that we both have a shared respect for each other, because it happened to both of us. And I know I haven't been the most reliable person throughout most of this, but I am committed to being faithful to you - and I hope we can be with each other not only out of obligation, but because we also enjoy each other's company. I'm in this, one hundred percent. Yes, I have to legally do this - but I'm choosing to ask you to help me make the most of this. Is this something you and I can pledge to each other? Right here and now? Our _real_ vows before the forced ones we have to say out there?" He asked.

"Logan, you amaze me every day. I thought you were going to call off the wedding, and instead I have one of the sweetest moments of my life in a bathroom" Odette chuckled. "You're right, we don't love each other, but I too hope that someday I can look at you, my husband, and tell you that I am deeply in love with you. I've dreaded the day that my parents introduced me to my future husband for my entire life, but I hit the jackpot when they introduced me to you. I promise you that I will accept you for who you are and try to help you become who you'd like to be. I will respect you and support you for the rest of my life. I commit to being faithful to you and you alone. Right here, right now, I commit myself fully to you, Logan Huntzberger. I will be your wife and your partner, your biggest support, and your closest ally. I give myself fully to you, keeping nothing back. This is my real vow to you" she finished with tears in her eyes.

Logan reached up and gently dabbed the tears that threatened to ruin her makeup. He held her face gently in his hands and slowly moved toward her. He brushed his lips across hers gently, and suddenly felt as if he were being pulled in by some magnetic force - he felt something he hadn't felt for her before - he felt passion, emotion, and tenderness. He pulled back slowly and they both smiled. She still had her eyes closed, and he quietly laughed, realizing it must have had the same affect on her.

"Well, this will be one hell of a story for us to tell the kids one day - how we said our real wedding vows and had our first kiss in the bathroom before the wedding" Logan chuckled.

"Are you good now?" she asked quietly.

"I'm better than good. Are you ready to go legally become Mrs. Odette Huntzberger?"

"More ready than I ever thought I could be" she said with a sweet smile.

Logan opened the bathroom door and turned to her one more time before leaving the bridal suite.

"I'll be the lucky guy waiting at the altar" he whispered.

"And I'll be the girl in white" she giggled.

Logan kissed her on the forehead and turned to the waiting wedding party.

"Everyone get ready. It's time to make that beautiful woman my wife" he said with a broad smile.


	8. Chapter 8

Everyone watched as Logan slipped out the door much more stealthily than he'd entered, and then they turned to Odette, their questions ready to erupt.

"What was that all about? Is everything okay?" Gabrielle asked.

Odette smiled, surprising even herself and nodded. "For the first time, baby sister, something about this arrangement is actually okay" she whispered, almost happily.

"That must have been some pep talk… what did he say?" Honor asked, surprised at the turn of events.

Odette shook her head and shrugged. "That he doesn't love me" she said, still with a huge smile spread across her face.

The girls exchanged confused glances, not sure why she was having such a positive reaction to such a horrible thing to tell the bride on her wedding day, but they didn't want to push it.

There was another knock on the door and the wedding planner poked her head in, checking to make sure everyone was ready. "Time to line up, girls, and get this show on the road" she ordered.

Inside the cathedral, the guys were all standing in formation at the altar - Logan, Colin, Finn, Robert, Josh and Seth.

Logan was nervous still, of course, but he was oddly optimistic about how everything would pan out.

The music started, the grandparents and parents began their walks down the aisle to be seated by the ushers.

As soon as they were seated, the music for the bridesmaids had started. Logan had made the mistake of making eye contact with his parents. His mom was smiling her fake society smile - she even had a few fake tears in the works. Then, he looked to his father, who had the most smug expression on his face, which made Logan more angry than he had ever felt before. He almost gave walking away from it all one more thought.

He was brought back to reality when he heard the wedding march. He looked down the aisle and any thoughts of walking away were immediately gone when he saw his bride beginning her walk down the aisle. He had made vows to her, and he would not let her down. He smiled warmly at her as they made eye contact. When he saw her smile sweetly back at him, he knew instantly that he was doing the right thing.

Odette and her father arrived at the altar, and the priest began the service, asking who gave Odette away.

"Her mother and I do," Renee replied confidently. He kissed Odette on the cheek and returned to his seat, leaving Logan and Odette standing next to each other.

The priest continued the service and Logan reached over and took Odette's hand in his, rubbing soothing circles on her palm as they listened to the priest's charge to them.

Suddenly, Finn could feel his phone vibrating in his pants pocket and he thanked his lucky stars that he'd remembered to turn his ringer off before the ceremony. He tried to ignore it, but his curiosity got the better of him, and he took it out a little ways, just enough to look at the screen. It was "Her" again. 'Of course it is', he thought. 'Why should I get any peace of mind while I stand here and watch my best mate get married - even if it's not for love, they sure do seem pretty damn happy. Lucky bastard.' He slipped the phone back in his pants, assuming he had been inconspicuous, but Robert cleared his throat behind him, and Finn knew he'd been caught. He turned slightly to acknowledge that fact, and then turned his attention immediately back to the couple pledging their lives to each other.

When the ceremony had ended and the bridal party was finished with taking pictures, the group went and hopped into their party bus.

"I definitely need a drink after all that" Seth said laughing and Finn took a flask out of his jacket pocket, not to waste any time.

The guys just laughed and Colin poured a round of drinks for everyone else from the bottles of alcohol that were supplied in the wet bar.

"Guys, I know I won't get any other chance to do this tonight, but I'd like to propose a toast to my little brother" Honor spoke up.

Everyone turned to her and they were all ears.

"As many of you know, Logan and I have always been close because, well, you've met our family. We're the only sane ones, somehow! But I've always been very protective of my little brother and I take a big interest in his life. I love him with all my heart and it hurt me almost as much as it hurt him the day we found out our parents had arranged and were forcing him into a marriage against his will. We tried and tried to convince our parents that what they were doing was wrong - but they wouldn't hear of it. He was stuck. And then we met her, Miss Odette Fontaine. We didn't want to give her the time of day. Logan and I tried as hard as we could to come up with reasons to hate her, but the more we got to know her, the more we realized we were falling short in our mission. Truth was, as much as we wanted to hate her, she was a very pleasant and likable person. Eventually we began to tolerate her, and then we began to actually enjoy her company from time to time. And then my brother told me something that neither of us could have predicted - that he actually liked this girl - the "enemy", so to speak. The more he got to know her, the more he realized this wasn't as big of a punishment as he expected, and he was actually coming around to the idea that maybe - just maybe - this could actually work. And so he made it his new mission, to be good enough for her, and I mean, I'm not biased or anything, but my little brother is pretty awesome, and so I'm pretty sure he succeeded. What I'm trying to say is, Odette - I no longer want to hate you. I have come to realize that this wasn't your fault any more than it was his, and the more I get to know you, the more I like you. I respect you, and I look forward to being able to introduce you as my sister-in-law from now on. And I hope, that as we continue to get to know each other, that I can also call you my friend, as well. To Odette and Logan" she said, raising her glass, and everyone else followed suit.


	9. Chapter 9

"So" Robert said, coming up behind Finn, offering him a drink.

"So?" Finn asked, taking the glass in his hand and drinking the liquid quickly.

"Who was so important to get your attention during the ceremony?" Robert asked, laughing at Finn's pouty face when his glass was empty.

Finn shrugged. "A blast from the past, that's all" he said, flagging down a waiter nearby.

"Thirsty tonight?" Robert asked with a laugh.

"Something like that" Finn said as Colin approached.

"So someone else caught "Her" calling you, huh?" Colin asked in amusement.

"Yeah, I suppose so, but I don't know why you buggers are making such a big deal about it. It's not like she wants anything important" Finn said.

"Maybe she wants to hook up?" Robert offered, with a shrug.

"Nah, not this one. Anyway, where's that bloody waiter with my drink?" Finn complained.

"You really think Logan would appreciate hearing about you checking your phone in the middle of the ceremony? Come on, out with it. If you can't tell us, who can you tell?" Colin asked.

"No one" Finn said, getting impatient and walking himself to the bar for his drinks.

"Two scotches, neat, my good man. There's a nice tip in it for you if you make it quick" Finn told the bartender.

He reached into his wallet and took out a fifty dollar bill, holding it up to show the bartender that he was serious. Within a minute he had his drinks in his hand and he gave the bartender his tip.

"Keep taking care of me all night and you'll be a very happy man by the end of the evening. There's no way I can do this sober" Finn said.

He picked up one of the drinks and downed it quickly, setting the empty glass down and picking up the still-full drink before walking away. He just had to hold it together for the next two hours and then he could get away from all of his well-meaning friends and have some privacy. He spotted a beautiful woman he hadn't yet met, at least to the best of his memory, and walked over to her on the dance floor.

"Such a ravishing woman. May I have this dance?" he asked, turning on his charm.

"Of course" she replied with a giggle.

Finn quickly downed yet another scotch and set his glass on a nearby table before extending his hand to his new dance partner. It occurred to him that he hadn't yet asked her name, but if he was being honest he would soon be far too drunk to remember it anyway.

Logan walked over to Robert and Colin and patted them on the backs.

"I can't tell you guys enough how much I appreciate you being here and supporting Odette and me" Logan told two of his long-time friends.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else, man" Colin replied, still watching Finn and his current woman-of-the-hour.

"What are we looking at, boys?" Logan asked in confusion, following their gaze across the room.

"We were just trying to figure out what exactly is going on with Finn" Robert offered.

"What do you mean?" Logan asked in confusion.

"He's acting odd" Colin stated matter-of-factly.

"Well, this is Finn we're talking about" Logan chuckled.

"No, even more than normal. Something's bothering him, and I think it has something to do with this "Her" that keeps trying to call him.

"I'm sorry, I think I'm lost. Her?" Logan asked.

"Someone who he has saved in his phone as "Her" keeps trying to call him. I cornered him at the stag party and asked him about it, and he kept going on about how she'd be a great girl to settle down with if he were into that kind of thing but that she was still hung up on someone else. I've never seen him like that" Colin told them both.

"And then she called again during the ceremony, and I busted him checking his phone" Robert added.

"That's...odd" Logan echoed. "Do you think that's why he's sleeping his way through every eligible woman in London and making it his personal quest to be drunk 24/7?" Logan asked.

"I think there's a good chance. If I didn't know better I'd say he was in love" Colin answered.

"No, surely not?" Logan asked in disbelief.

"I really think so. He even said something about caring for someone hurting too damn much" Colin continued.

"Wow. I'd sure as hell like to meet the woman who's captured Finn's attentions and sent him off the deep end by not returning them."

"Wouldn't we all" Robert agreed.

Stephanie, Rosemary and Juliet sat down beside Robert and Colin. "Had enough dancing?" Colin teased Steph, giving her a kiss.

"My feet are _killing_ me! But I just needed a breather and then I'll be good to go" she said.

"Just don't go burning off _all_ your energy - save some for me for later" he murmured with a wink. She just smiled and shrugged.

"Speaking of burning off energy - is Finn really getting ready to leave with two girls?" Juliet asked in surprise.

"What!?" Robert exclaimed.

"Where!?" Colin asked at the same time. Rosemary nodded toward the door, as Finn was leading a blonde and a red head out the door, his arms draped around the shoulders of both.

"Holy shit! That guy has always had the best luck with women" Robert complained and Juliet elbowed him. "Ow - I should have thought that through" he whined with a laugh.

Seth came over and joined the table and pulled Rosemary into his lap. "What are we talking about?" He asked, trying to catch up.

"Finn isn't acting like himself tonight" Colin said.

"What are you talking about, Colin!? This is classic Finn!" Juliet said with a laugh.

" _Was_ classic Finn. He's not acted like this in over two months, and I think it's because of ' _Her_ '" Colin explained.

The girls looked at him as if he were speaking a different language.

"Who?" Seth asked.

"I have no idea. Some girl he's head over heels in love with that won't give him the time of day, and so he's sleeping his way through every girl he meets, trying to overcompensate for not being able to get her. Or at least, that's my interpretation of it all" Colin said.

"What!? Finn isn't in love with anyone! Are you crazy!?" Rosemary exclaimed.

"Uh, yeah he seems to be… I've tried talking about it too, but he won't give up much information about her. Just someone he wants to be with, that wants someone else" Robert said.

"You're kidding me!? How did I miss this!? Colin, how come you never told me!" Steph exclaimed.

"We only just found out and started putting together the pieces of the puzzle. He's not being very cooperative with any of it" he promised her.

"We need to help him! What if I can grab his phone somehow!? I could get her number and call her! See how in the world she could possibly want anyone else over our Finn!?" Juliet said.

"He hasn't let that phone out of his sight. It stays in his pocket, so unless you catch him with his pants off, it won't likely happen" Colin said.

"I could try…" Rosemary offered.

"You get Finn with his pants off, Rose, and you won't see me with mine off anymore" Seth teased her.

"Can't blame a girl for being willing to take one for the team" she said with a shrug.

"I'm sure it was a real arm twister, too" Robert said with an eye roll, and they all laughed.

"So then what are we going to do? Just let Finn go on a jealous lover's rampage, taking it out on every single woman he meets? He's better than that! He _deserves_ better than that!" Stephanie said sadly.

"Well, it looks like we might as well table this conversation until tomorrow, because he just walked out with his two dates and Logan and Odette are coming our way" Robert stated, effectively silencing them all, but each of them were still going over the details of what they knew in their heads and trying to figure out how to unravel the mystery of Finn's unrequited love.


	10. Chapter 10

Sitting in the waiting room of my father's office, I flipped mindlessly through a tabloid magazine, not paying it much attention until I stumbled across a spread on the Huntzberger-Fontaine wedding that had just taken place on Saturday afternoon in London. I looked through the pictures, she looked beautiful in her dress - this was actually the first photo of Odette I had ever seen. She was a classic beauty, and she matched with Logan's looks perfectly.

I flipped through the pages upon pages of photos and read the article about it, and that's when I came across the photos of Him, and his signature partying ways. He had his arm around a different woman in each of the pictures and it hurt to see him like that. Although now it makes sense why I never got a reply from any of my calls. He probably hasn't even checked his messages at all.

I was getting upset and slammed the magazine shut just as my dad walked into the room to get me. "Hey kid! Everything okay? You look - sad" he said, leading me into his office.

I cleared my throat and followed him silently, and sat in the chair across from his at his desk. "Uh, I'm not sure I'm _okay_ … I've just had a lot a lot on my mind lately" I told him.

"Well, talk to me kid. What can I do for you? Is it a money issue?" He asked, assuming that was probably the reason for my visit.

"No, it has nothing to do with money" I answered, catching him by surprise.

"It's not…? Then to what do I owe the pleasure of seeing my beautiful oldest daughter?" He asked.

"Well, I'm doing some research, on fathers. I'm interviewing fathers who all had very different backgrounds and experiences when raising their children. I started with one who wasn't aware of his daughter until she was twelve, and so I wanted to also ask you, since we had the unique dynamic that we had with mom" I explained.

"Wow, I wasn't expecting that at all, but sure. What would you like to know? Ask me anything" he said.

"Well, obviously we weren't close when I was younger. Would have been easier for you if Mom hadn't told you that she was pregnant?"

"What? Of course not, Ror. I made a lot of mistakes when you were younger, and I've beaten myself up for them for years, but that doesn't change the fact that you're my daughter. I wish that I would have been a better dad to you all of those years, but all I can do is be there now."

"Why weren't you there when I was younger?" Rory whispered tearfully.

"Oh, kiddo. I was...young, and selfish, and probably pretty stupid. I didn't know what was really important in life then."

"Was there anything that would have woken you up? Made you grow up and be in my life from the beginning?" I asked.

"Are you sure this is for research, or is it personal between you and me?" He asked.

"I promise it's for research" I assured him. "You and I really are in a good place now."

"I honestly don't know if anything could have made me realize what I was missing out on by not being a bigger part of your life, but I do know that I'm glad your mom didn't shut me out when I made mistakes and let you guys down. It may have taken me way too long, but I finally mostly got the hang of this dad thing."

"You're great at it, Dad" I said with a small smile.

"I'm still learning, but I love you and Gigi very much."

"I know you do, Daddy" Rory replied, again fighting tears.

My dad came over and knelt down in front of me.

"Ror, sweetie, I feel like there's something else going on here. Is everything okay?"

"I don't know, Dad. I'm...I'm pregnant" I whispered.

"Wow. That's unexpected. How far along?"

"About ten weeks. I've been trying to get in touch with the father, but he hasn't returned my calls."

"This whole conversation is making so much more sense now" he realized.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I just...I had to know how you felt. I don't want to do this by myself, but I also don't want to back him into a corner just to get him to answer my calls so I can tell him that he's going to be a father. I don't know what to do" I sobbed.

"Oh, Ror. You're not going to do this by yourself, even if he chooses not to be involved."

"I know. I have you and Mom and Luke. I just...I've known for two weeks and I've left him several messages. I should at least know where he stands in all of this, but instead he's off having the time of his life in London, if the pictures are any indication."

"Pictures?" he asked, confused.

"Nevermind, it isn't important," I dismissed.

"Who is this guy anyway? I didn't know you were seeing anyone?" He asked.

"I don't want to tell anyone he's going to be a father before I'm able to tell him. I feel like it's only fair. If only I could get him to pick up the damn phone" I whispered.

"Why wait for that? Go see him. He can't avoid you if you see him in person" he said.

"That doesn't seem too needy?" I asked.

He shrugged. "In this case, a little bit needy is necessary."

"I guess" I whispered, really thinking this was going differently than I originally expected. I actually thought he would have almost rather have not known about me…

"Well, I guess I had better get out of here. Let you get back to work, and I also have a doctor's appointment in a couple of hours" I said.

Chris nodded and pulled me into his arms for a big hug. "It was good to see you, kid. Come see me anytime, and if there's ever - and I do mean _ever_ \- anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to let me know" he insisted.

I nodded. "I promise, dad" I whispered, and he walked me out. On his way back into his office, he looked down and saw the tabloid of Logan's wedding and flipped to the article and the pictures. He knew the father was in those photos, and took the magazine back into his office with him, shutting the door behind him.


	11. Chapter 11

"Yes mom, I know driving to Boston twice in one week is a lot of driving, but what else could I do? He hasn't answered any of my phone calls in two and a half weeks. I can't not tell him, dad and Luke both agreed on that" I said. I was on the phone, but the call was connected through the speakers in my car.

"I just wish you would have let me come with you" her voice said over the speakers.

"You know I would have loved the moral support, but I can't let him know I told anyone else whose baby it was before I told him myself. That's not really fair, Mom" I reminded her.

She agreed with my logic, but that didn't make it any easier on her curiosity. "How close are you now? And who do you know that lives in Boston, anyway? Did you meet him when you went to visit your dad for a week a while back?" She asked.

"I'm about five minutes away from the parking lot where he works, no I didn't meet him when I stayed with dad, and I'm not answering any more of that question, but nice try" I said firmly.

"Damn! Can't blame me for trying" she said with a laugh.

"Sure I can, because you're driving me more nuts than I already am. My nerves are more on edge than I think they've ever been before" I told her.

"You just need to breathe, sweets. No matter what happens - even if he's a total jerk that you never hear from again - you will still be very well taken care of" she reminded me. I nodded in response, forgetting she couldn't see me.

"Anyway, I need to get back to the inn - just because I own it doesn't mean I can take an all-day lunch break - or so I've been so _rudely_ told by Michel. Are you going to be alright if I go, hun?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'll be okay" I said, taking a deep breath.

"Call me immediately if you need anything" she insisted. I told her I would and we ended the call.

I drove in silence for a few more minutes until I pulled into the parking lot of a giant building. Suddenly I wasn't feeling quite as okay as I thought I felt. I stared at the building and felt panic rising in my chest. I wanted so badly to turn around and drive right back home, but I knew I couldn't do that. I picked up my phone and scrolled through my contacts, finding the number I needed.

"Hey, kiddo. How's it going?"

"Daddy? I need you to tell me that I'm doing the right thing" I said quietly.

"Could you tell me what you're doing first?" he chuckled, causing me to smile a bit.

"I'm in Boston. I'm about to walk into his office and turn his world upside down, and I'm scared."

"Boston, huh? You want me to come meet you?" he asked.

"No, I just...I need you to tell me one more time that I'm making the right choice by barging in there uninvited."

"You have to tell him, Ror, and if he's not returning your calls for whatever reason then this is what you have to do. Once you've told him he can make his choice, but you have to tell him."

"You're right; I know you're right. It's just...terrifying" I admitted.

"I can imagine it is. Call me after if you need anything, okay? My afternoon is pretty free, so I can come take you out for ice cream or something if you'd like."

"Thank you, Dad. Alright, I'm going to take a deep breath and go do this. I'm going to hang up now before I talk myself out of it."

"Talk to you soon, kiddo" he said, and I quickly disconnected the call.

I flipped down the visor mirror and took a quick glance at myself. Good enough to go deliver the news, I guess. I grabbed my phone and purse and got out of the car, quickly walking to the door. I silently thanked whatever higher power that the receptionist wasn't at her desk and walked the path that I knew would take me to his office. I arrived at his closed door and took one last deep breath before knocking.

"Come in" came his voice.

I opened the door and walked into his office and immediately noticed that he wasn't alone. This wasn't optimal at all.

"Hey, guys" I greeted them uncertainly.

Colin and Robert both returned my greeting with a "Reporter Girl" as Finn gave me a colder "Rory".

"What brings you here?" Finn asked stiffly.

"I...I really need to talk to you" I said quietly, looking down at the ground.

"You're here, so talk" he shot back. I was taken aback by how unfeeling and angry he sounded; I thought we'd last parted on good terms.

"Actually, I really need to speak with you privately. It's really important, Finn" I pleaded.

"You can say whatever you need to say to me in front of them."

"No, I really can't, Finn. That's why I've been calling you and leaving voicemails, but you haven't returned any of my calls. By the way, I'm sorry for that. I didn't realize until a couple of days ago that I must have called you right in the middle of Logan's wedding."

Rory didn't notice Colin and Robert's jaws dropping and the knowing look that they shared.

"Perhaps you should take my lack of return phone call as a sign that we don't have anything to discuss" Finn dismissed coldly.

"Finn, I really have to talk to you" I said exasperatedly.

"I'm here."

"Fine, you know what? We'll do this right here" I said, slamming his door shut behind me. "You want to know what I was trying to get in touch with you for the last two and a half weeks? I'm pregnant!"

You could have heard a pin drop in the room.

"I'm not sure why you're telling me this, Rory; I'm not really the fatherly type. Shouldn't you be talking to someone else?

"Maybe if you'd check your messages you'd know that I needed to talk to _you_ , not someone else!" she yelled. "Have you seriously not listened to any of my messages?"

Finn slammed his phone down on his desk and yelled right back.

"No, I didn't check any of my damn messages! Look, if you want to get in touch with Logan about this...development...you're going to have to do it yourself."

"Is that really what you think of me, Finn? That I'm just using you to get to Logan? God, after we...you're...what an ass! I thought you knew me better than that. After...I just can't believe you can't even take the time to listen to my voicemails." I said, tears now rolling down my face.

"Look, I'm just trying to respect Logan and Odette's wishes to help them start their marriage on the right foot, and I don't think helping you get in touch with him would really fall into that category."

"You are unbelievable! You know what? Screw you!"

I slammed the appointment reminder for my next OB appointment down on his desk and stalked out of the office, now openly sobbing. This wasn't how I'd expected this to go at all.


	12. Chapter 12

I rushed out of the office, down the hall, into the elevator and out the door. Never could I have predicted how badly that went. I was still in disbelief, when I reached down for my keys and got into my car - resting my head on the steering wheel, and allowing myself to full on cry. After a few moments, I regained my composure - not wanting to still be there when Colin and Robert left his office - so I started driving towards my dad's work, calling him on the way.

"What do you think we should do!? Should we tell Logan!?" Robert exclaimed, after the shock of the news had worn off of him.

"He's on his honeymoon - do we really want to ruin that with news he knocked up Mother?" Colin asked.

Finn sighed. "We have to tell him. I mean, think about it, if it were yours, wouldn't you want to know the earliest moment you could, despite the grisly details?" Finn asked

"You're right, of course you're right. I suppose we shouldn't wait until he comes home. He needs to know what he's up against" Colin agreed.

"But I don't want to be the one to tell him!" Robert said, holding his hands up in front of him defensively.

Finn shook his head. "No, I'll tell him. I'll send him a text and have him call me when he can" he volunteered reluctantly.

"Are you sure? Finn, we know…" Robert said in surprise.

"Know what?"

"We know Rory is _her_ " Colin said more gently.

"So what of it? Everything I said was true, even moreso now than ever. She's too hung up on her ex to even think about giving anyone else a shot - and I don't want to talk about _her_ anymore" Finn said dismissing it.

Colin and Robert sighed, but decided it would be best to respect their friend's wishes.

"Look, we'll get out of here and let you get back to work, but if you need us we're not far away, okay?" Colin said.

"Thanks, mates. I'm fine, though, really" Finn insisted, not willing to show just how affected he really was in front of his friends.

"Well, it would be understandable if you weren't. We'll talk to you soon" Robert told him before he and Colin walked out of Finn's office.

As soon as the door was shut behind them, Finn dropped his head in his hands and sighed. He'd suspected that she was still hung up on Logan, but hearing that she was pregnant with Logan's child still felt like a knife to the heart. He'd hoped that perhaps someday she would be ready to move on and he might get his chance, but now he had to admit that it wasn't likely. He looked at the bottle of scotch sitting on the bar in his office and felt empty. He'd been trying to drown the pain in liquor and women, but it still hurt just as badly the next morning.

He picked up his phone and turned it over in his hands trying to rally to do what he needed to do, and suddenly he was angry at the whole situation. Logan had the love of Rory, the woman Finn loved, and had a gorgeous parent-approved wife, too, and Finn was stuck doing the dirty work of telling Logan that he was about to be a father. He just couldn't catch a break right now.

Taking one final look at the appointment reminder that Rory had slammed on his desk, he started a text to his best friend.

 _It's imperative that I speak with you ASAP, mate. Give me a call at your earliest availability, regardless of time. -Finn_

He looked at the text one more time and hit the send button. If he couldn't be the great love of her life, at least he could do this small thing to help her.

Colin's POV

"Did you have any idea it was Gilmore?" Robert asked me on the elevator as we were leaving Finn's office.

"Not a clue, man. I didn't even know that Rory and Finn were close enough for him to fall for her, honestly. I don't think they've ever dated or anything."

"I don't think they have either, but it's obvious that he's hurting. Do you think he'll be okay if we head back to Hartford? I'm worried he may really go on a bender now, after hearing that she's pregnant with Logan's baby."

"Maybe it would be best for us to stay in Boston tonight, just so we can check on him in the morning? I know he wants us to stay out of it, but I've never seen him like this."

"I think that might be a good idea. Let's find a hotel and get settled in before dinner."

I walked into the restaurant that dad told me to meet him at, and sat down at the table they led me to with a deep sigh.

"Hey kid, sorry I'm late. Have you been here long?" He asked, kissing the top of my head and sitting down beside me.

"I only just got here myself, so no worries" I whispered, not looking up, and fidgeting with the wrapper from my straw.

"Alright talk. I know you said it didn't go well - and from the look on your face I'd say that's a bit of an understatement. Can you tell me what happened?" He asked.

I nodded and sighed. "It was horrible" I whispered.

He looked at me eagerly, prompting me to continue.

"Two of his friends were there and since he wouldn't talk to me in private, now they all know I'm pregnant because I was going crazy with him not knowing" I whispered.

"Ouch. What did they all have to say about it?" He asked.

"He told me it must be Logan's, and that I must have only come to him because I thought he would help me get back with Logan, and he said the reason he never returned my phone calls was because he had nothing to say to me" I whispered.

"Wait a minute - how did things end with this guy? Did you hurt him? Is that why he's not talking to you easily?" He asked.

I laughed. "Thanks Dad, I needed that. But no, not at all. He's not the type to get hurt, and surely not by me. Although who the hell knows anymore - he didn't act anything like I thought I knew of him today, so I'm not sure what to think anymore" I whispered.

"Well, just take it into consideration. It sounds like he might have been acting out of hurt if nothing else makes any sense" he said.

"Okay, I really don't want to go into the details, but he and I were just friends before it happened, and I never heard from him again after. It was just sex for him" I said.

"Did you try to contact him afterwards? Before you found out you were pregnant?" He asked.

"No, why would I try to look like I was clingy and talk to him whenever he didn't try to talk to me…?" I asked.

Chris chuckled and nodded. "Okay" he said, holding his hands up in defense.


	13. Chapter 13

"Finn, buddy, what's wrong? You sounded like you needed to talk to me rather quickly… Is everything okay?" Logan asked into the phone.

Finn sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. "No, Mate, it's not, and I'm about to either ruin your life or make you very happy - but I'm not sure which, yet" he said.

"You have my attention…" Logan said.

"Rory came to see me today" Finn said.

There was a long silence and Logan swallowed hard. "She did?" he asked, trying to figure out what would have caused the love of his life to go see his best friend.

"Come to find out, Mate, she's pregnant. And you were with her in New Hampshire, so I'm pretty positive the child is yours…" Finn said, trying not to beat around the bush.

"What!?" Logan asked. A million thoughts were running through his mind. He couldn't have a baby with another woman when he just vowed real, heartfelt vows to his new wife to really try to make things work with her. "How? Rory and I were careful that night... _Very_ careful" he said slowly.

"Well, it's not like those things work 100% of the time. Maybe one got through…?" Finn offered, the conversation killing him.

Finn could hear Logan sigh deeply from the other end of the line. "I'm - just - I'm beyond shocked right now… How are we even sure it's mine? Maybe she was with someone else?" Logan offered.

"Wishful thinking, Mate. Knowing Rory, she hasn't been with anyone since you in New Hampshire" Finn reasoned.

Logan took another deep breath and groaned. "This is _not_ good, but I guess I need to call her…" he realized.

"I would do it soon. She seemed like a wreck" Finn whispered, the words cutting him like a knife.

"Good thinking. I'll call her now. Thanks for telling me, Finn. Even if this is quite possibly some of the worst news I've heard in a very long time" he chuckled.

"No problem, Mate. You deserved to know as soon as possible. Besides, I know you'd do the same thing for me" Finn said painfully, and they hung up the phone.

Logan took a deep breath and dialed the number he knew by heart. He'd deleted her number from his phone when he and Odette had decided to make a go of things. He held his breath as he listened to the ringing of the phone.

"Hello?" Rory answered.

"Hey, Ace" Logan replied softly.

"Logan? I'm sorry...I just...I didn't expect to hear from you. Aren't you on your honeymoon?"

"I am, but it seemed important that you and I speak soon."

"It did? Why?" Rory asked.

"I talked to Finn, Rory."

"I'm still not following this conversation, Logan. I'm sorry, I'm tired and in desperate need of caffeine that I can't have."

"I know you're pregnant, Rory" he finally said.

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh. Were you going to tell me?" he asked.

"Why would I need to tell you, Logan? You and I ended things back in New Hampshire."

"Well, it's generally considered polite to tell a man he's going to be a father, even if you're no longer with him" Logan said frustratedly.

"Oh! Oh no. He really thought that...oh wow. God, this is awkward. The baby isn't yours, Logan" she whispered.

"Oh, thank god! I mean...I'm sorry, that sounded really harsh, but this really wasn't good timing for me."

"Well, it's really not good timing for me either, but here I am" Rory said bitterly.

"I didn't mean it like that, Rory" Logan sighed. "I just got married, and despite the circumstances, Odette and I made promises to each other to really make this work between us. You being pregnant with my child would have made things infinitely more complicated."

"Well, you're in the clear there, so no worries" Rory reassured him.

"And you're positive that it's not mine? We don't need to do a paternity test or anything? Despite the circumstances, I wouldn't leave you to do this alone. I would still be there for my kid."

"No, I'm absolutely certain, but thank you. I was...with someone else...a one-night stand, about a month before New Hampshire. I assumed it was yours too, but the dates don't add up at all. It's definitely the other guy's."

"Well, I hope that he'll step up and be a dad for this kid then, Rory. You deserve happiness."

Rory began crying when she heard his words.

"Thanks, Logan, really. That means a lot" she sobbed.

"Hey, why the tears?"

"It's my problem, not yours. It's just...I think I'm going to be on my own here. It looks like he doesn't want to have anything to do with me or the baby" Rory whispered.

"I'm so sorry. Finn, Colin and Robert all live pretty close to you; I'm sure they would love to be there for you" he offered.

"That's not likely, but thanks" Rory said bitterly.

"Listen, I need to get back to Odette, but I wish you all the best, Rory."

"Thank you, Logan. And congratulations on your marriage. I'm really proud of you for giving your marriage 100%. I truly wish you guys all the happiness in the world. Finn said something about keeping me away from you; I need you to know that I'm happy for you and I would never try to break up your marriage, Logan."

"Thanks, Ace. You're a real class act. Take care of yourself, okay?"

"That's all I can do" Rory replied quietly. "Bye, Logan."

Finn's POV

I looked down at my phone in confusion, wondering why Logan was calling me back already. Maybe he lost Rory's number and I have to help with that, too.

"Hey, Logan, I didn't expect to hear back from you so soon…" I said.

"I just had to hurry up and tell you the good news before the buzz wore off! It's not my baby! And she's 100% sure of it!" Logan exclaimed happily.

"What? So she really was with someone after you in New Hampshire?" I asked in surprise. Now this cut deeper than I had expected.

"No, before! Apparently the dates show that she's further along than she thought she was - apparently she was already pregnant in New Hampshire and didn't know yet!" Logan said, excitement dripping off his voice.

"Be...fore…? How much before?" I asked cautiously.

"She said it was a one-night-stand, about a month before she and I got together that night" Logan said.

I could feel all the color drain from my face. A month before? No… It couldn't be… Could it?

"Finn, you alright? I figured you'd be celebrating with me!" Logan said.

"Uh, I've actually got to run… Something urgent just came up at work that needs my attention… Can I talk with you later?" I asked abruptly.

"Absolutely! Hope it's not too complicated for you, and I'll talk to you later. Oh! And if you wouldn't mind, could you and the guys go and check on her from time to time? She seems to think the father doesn't want to have anything to do with her, and she was really upset on the phone" Logan said. "Anyway, take care, and I'll talk to you later, Finn" he said, and I silently hung up the phone, still in shock.


	14. Chapter 14

After mom and Luke's impromptu wedding before their wedding, mom grabbed a bottle of champagne and a glass. "Do you want some grape juice? I picked some up for you" she said.

Normally I would say no, but it was a special occasion, so I felt the need to celebrate with her - even though I wasn't really in a celebration type of mood.

"Sure, mom" I said. She handed me a bottle and a glass, and we went over to sit on the steps of the gazebo.

"I can't believe after all this time, that Luke and I are finally _married_!" she gushed.

"I always knew you would be, but you're both so stubborn it took you a while to get here" I pointed out

She nodded, knowing that was true. "I love you, kid. Thanks for helping to make our day perfect. I know you're older now, but I'm just glad the three of us - well, almost four of us, now - are finally a family" she said.

"We've been a family much longer than just now" I promised her.

"You'll find someone amazing one day" she said reassuringly.

"Yeah" I whispered.

"Hey…. What's going on in there?" she asked.

"I wanna remember it all. Every detail" I whispered wistfully. "Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm pregnant" I whispered.

She looked at me in shock, and then chuckled slightly. "Yes...are you just now figuring this out?" She asked.

"I'm pregnant and he doesn't even want to have anything to do with us, mom" I whispered, tears coming to my eyes.

"What? How do you know!? Did he tell you that?" She asked.

"He didn't _have_ to. His actions said everything that he didn't say" I whispered.

"Tell me what happened, I'm so sorry I haven't asked sooner! I feel like a horrible mom!" She said.

"It's not like you haven't had a lot on your mind, mom, it's not a big deal, really! I completely understand" I assured her.

"Well tell me now" she begged, and I filled her in on the details of that day, including the phone call with Logan the next day.

"Wait, sweets. Are you sure that baby daddy got the message that it's his baby you're growing? I can't see him calling Logan if he understood that it was his baby" she asked.

"How could he not know, Mom? I told him I'm pregnant; he'd have to be really dense not to put the pieces together and figure it out" I protested.

"I hear what you're saying, kiddo, but it just doesn't add up to me" she stated firmly.

"Look, I know him, and I know what his lack of response means. I don't want to dwell on this anymore. I'll just figure it all out on my own" I replied in frustration.

"You're not on your own, Ror. You have Luke and I, no matter what."

"Thanks, Mom" I said tearfully.

"Hey, you and me, always" she reminded me. "You look tired, kid. Let's get home and get to bed - it's a big day tomorrow."

"Yeah, growing a human is tough work" I chuckled.

Mom and I stood up and linked arms, walking through the sleeping town.

"Hey, since you've told the father does that mean that I get to find out who it is now?" she asked me excitedly.

"Sure, Mom. One condition, though. I don't want to answer any questions right now, so I'll tell you right before I go to bed" I said firmly.

"You drive a hard bargain, sister, but alright" she agreed.

I stood off to the side of Mom and Luke's wedding reception. It had been a beautiful ceremony, with them both being able to relax and enjoy the moment thanks to their secret midnight nuptials the night before. I couldn't help but cry as I watched them make their vows to each other. I was so happy for them, but I also couldn't help but reflect on the current state of my life. Here I was, 32 years old, no romantic prospects, and expecting a baby. Maybe somehow I would find my Luke at some point in my life as a single mother, just like Mom had, but right now I needed to focus on this little life and straightening my life out so I could be the best possible mom.

After dinner, dancing, and many toasts, Mom, Luke and I ended the night in the diner over coffee and pie.

"Are you guys excited about your honeymoon?" I asked them.

"Yes! Two weeks in Florida will be perfect!" Mom exclaimed happily. "Fishing for my husband and the beach for me - it's going to be heaven."

"Are you sure you'll be okay, Rory?" Luke asked in concern.

"Of course" I insisted. "You two need to go enjoy your honeymoon; I can take care of myself. I know I have you guys' support, but I'll have to stand on my own two feet at some point."

"We could reschedule and wait a couple of weeks to go" Luke offered.

"No, really! You guys go enjoy your honeymoon. I have plenty here to keep me busy. I won't let you stay on my account."

"If you're sure. We're just a phone call away though, Rory. We can be back as quickly as we can get a flight" Luke replied.

"You're an amazing step dad, Luke. You've been the father figure in my life for years. Thank you" I said with tears in my eyes. "Now, I'm going to stay at the diner apartment tonight so you two have the house to yourselves. I'll see you both for breakfast before you leave."

"Thank you, sweets. I love you" Mom said, standing up to embrace me in a tight hug.

"I love you too, Mom" I replied, enjoying the security of her arms around me. I moved to Luke and he opened his arms to me.

"Congratulations, Luke. I couldn't have dreamed of having anyone better in our lives. I love you" I told him as I hugged him.

"I'm the lucky one here. You and your mom mean everything to me. I love you, too, Rory" he said sweetly.


	15. Chapter 15

Robert stood looking around the room the Morgan family's annual holiday party. They traditionally held it just before Thanksgiving in order to catch everyone before the rush that comes with the holiday season. He was grateful to finally spot Juliet, Colin and Steph walking toward him.

"There you guys are. I was starting to think I was going to be stuck here alone all night long," Robert said greeting the group.

"We're here. Where's everyone else?" Colin asked.

"Seth and Rose are on their way and should arrive any minute," Robert answered.

"Has Finn already taken off with his ladies for the evening?" Juliet asked.

"I haven't seen him yet," Robert replied.

"Has anyone tried to call him?" Steph asked.

"No, I'll try now," Colin answered. He took his phone out and called Finn's number, and he immediately received his voicemail.

"Hey, man. We're all here at your parents' party and haven't seen you yet. Hopefully you're on your way. Give me a call when you get this."

Colin ended the call and turned to his friends.

"Straight to voicemail - It didn't even ring. He hasn't shown for the two charity events in the last two weeks. When was the last time anyone talked to him?" Colin asked.

"It's been about a week and a half or so. Should we make the rounds and look for him? Knowing how he was acting at Logan's wedding he may be in a room with a redhead" Robert said just as Seth and Rose joined the group.

"What's going on, guys?" Seth asked.

"We were just wondering where Finn is. We're going to mingle and look for him," Juliet answered.

The couples all went their separate ways, mingling as was expected and looking for Finn.

Colin and Stephanie walked right up to Finn's sister, Eve, and decided they should ask her first - surely he would check in with her the moment he walked into the party.

"Hey guys! You look great!" she exclaimed, embracing Colin, and then Steph.

"Thanks! So do you!" Steph said.

"Hey, Evie, have you seen your long lost brother around anywhere? We haven't been able to pin him down yet" Colin asked.

Eve shook her head. "No, I haven't seen him yet tonight, I guess he's being fashionably late. Leave it to Finn to make dramatic entrances" she said with a laugh.

"But you've talked to him recently?" Steph asked, knowing Finn didn't ever go long without talking to his little sister.

"No, actually, I haven't talked to him since the night he got back from London. I went away on vacation the day after he came back, and I haven't talked to him yet since I've been home. His phone must be dead, because it keeps going straight to voicemail, but I haven't tried to call him today" she offered.

Colin rubbed his fingers across his lips in frustration, but not wanting to upset Finn's sister, he made up a story so that she wouldn't worry.

"Oh, I think I remembered him saying he was having some phone troubles, that must be it. He's just being lazy and not getting it replaced like he should be doing" he said with a laugh.

Stephanie looked at him in confusion, but he just gave her a look that she knew meant for her to play along.

"Anyway, we'll keep looking. Thanks, Evie" she said, and Colin pulled her away.

"Now we _know_ something's up if he hasn't even talked to his _sister…_ " she hissed.

He shushed her and pulled her away even further. "We don't need to freak anyone out, Babe, we just need to find our friend!" he said, and she nodded in agreement.

"Should we check his apartment?" she asked, concern eating through her voice.

He sighed. "If he doesn't show up at this party tonight, that's exactly what we're going to do...but in the meantime, let's go get us a drink and pretend like we're not scared to death" he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and leading her to the bar.

"He sleeps with _so many girls_ \- you don't think one of them finally snapped and hurt him, do you?" she asked.

"No, I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for all of this. Finn loves his family - he's not like the rest of us - he wouldn't miss this unless he had a really good reason, and we all know a random red-head isn't a good enough reason, even to him" he said.

She nodded and sighed, relieved when Seth and Rosemary came back to them, but their report was much of the same.

"Alright, let's just try to enjoy the rest of the party, and then we'll go" Colin promised Steph, and she nodded.

When the party was over, and there was still _no_ sign of Finn whatsoever, the group decided to go pay him a visit.

They made their way to his apartment, and knocked on the door. They waited, but were answered with nothing other than silence. Colin knocked again, and again, nothing.

"He's not here…?" Steph whispered.

"Or he's dead…" Rosemary said.

"Shut up, Rose, that's not funny!" Steph cried.

"Girls, calm down. I have his apartment key" Colin announced, reaching into his pocket, and using the key in the lock, and the door opened with ease.

"Finn!?" The girls called, running from room to room.

The guys observed the living room and everything looked in it's place - and he knew the maid comes on Wednesdays to clean up after the man child, but it's never looked this spotless on a Friday night…

"Guys, he hasn't been here in days…" Colin realized.

"What? How are you so sure?" Seth asked.

"Just trust me. When have you ever known Finn to be this… _tidy_?" he asked.

"Oh my god, you're right" Robert realized, knowing where Colin was going with this.

"So what do we do?" Rosemary asked from the doorway.

"Guys, this might be serious enough to report him as a missing person…" Colin said, as his phone was ringing.

"It's Logan - maybe - just maybe - he's heard from him" he said, answering the call.

"Hey Logan, any chance you've talked to our dear buddy Finn lately? None of us have heard from him and we're standing in his apartment, and he hasn't been here for days… He even missed his parents' party tonight…" Colin explained.

"I talked to him last week, when he called and told me that apparently Rory is pregnant, because he thought it was mine. Thank god it wasn't!" Logan said, and then paused. "Wait, you said he's been MIA for days? Where the hell do you think he is?" he asked in concern.

"None of us has any idea, but I think I need to call the police…" Colin said.


	16. Chapter 16

CHRIS'S POV

I was exhausted and stressed from the last couple of weeks. I couldn't quit thinking about Rory's situation. My heart was breaking for my oldest daughter, but something told me that there was more to the situation than I knew. I'd done my research and narrowed down the potential dads in the article; only one of them worked in Boston. I knew who he was, but couldn't decide whether or not I should attempt to make contact.

I sighed heavily as I pulled into a local bar to stop for a drink after work. I sat down at one end of the dark bar and ordered from the bartender.

"One scotch, neat, please."

"Coming right up, sir."

I thanked the bartender and opened a tab when he delivered my drink. As I took my first sip I noticed a rather drunk young man sitting across the bar lamenting loudly about his life, and I couldn't help but think that he looked familiar. I wracked my brain for several minutes before it suddenly dawned on me - he was the one from the article. Pulling out my phone, I checked the picture I'd taken from the spread on the Huntzberger wedding and looked at him again. Talk about dumb luck. Taking it as a sign, I got up from my barstool and slowly made my way to the other side of the bar in hopes of striking up a conversation. I couldn't help but chuckle as I heard the young man drunkenly talking to his iPhone.

"Hey, Siri," he began, "what's the best way to not feel this way anymore?"

Frankly, I was surprised Siri could understand his drunken slurring.

"I'm not sure I understand. Are you saying you want to be a robot?" was Siri's reply.

He threw his hands up in exasperation and took another drink, and I had to work hard to keep a straight face.

"Being a human not all it's cracked up to be, man?" I asked him, hoping to break the ice.

"Nope, humans have feelings. Being a robot sounds bloody wonderful right now compared to this," he answered.

"That sounds rough, buddy."

"You don't know the half of it, mate. I love her. God, I love her so much it hurts, and she's still so damn hung up on her ex. And then I find out I got her pregnant. Do you have any idea what that feels like?"

"Actually, I do have some experience in that area," I confessed quietly.

"Oh, and then she comes to my office to tell me that she's pregnant, and I'm so wrapped up in being a cold, aloof jackass because I don't want to hurt anymore that I don't even realize that she's trying to tell me that she's pregnant with my kid. I actually thought it was his! How daft could I be?!"

"Wow, that's quite a story," I reply. If I'd had any doubts as to whether or not I had the right guy before, they were gone at this point. This had to be him.

"I'd do anything for that woman, but she'll probably never give me the chance because I screwed up so badly. Being a robot would be a relief," he lamented.

"That's a tough situation...I don't think I caught your name?"

"Name's Finn," he replied.

"Well, that's a tough situation, Finn. How long have you loved this girl?"

"I don't even know how long I've loved her. She was my best mate's girl in college, but I had a thing for her even then. I don't know when it turned into love, but it's been too long. I was just starting to try to move on when she started calling me all the time. Do you know how hard it is to move on when she's calling you all the damn time? That's why I didn't listen to the voicemails - I couldn't bear to hear her tell me that it was a mistake!" he exclaimed.

"Does this girl have a name?"

"Her name's Rory," Finn answered.

"Well, she sounds like one hell of a girl."

"You have no idea. She's beautiful, and witty, and smart. She's everything that I could ever want in a woman, but she has no idea how I feel. I couldn't tell her, because I love her too damn much to make her unhappy, but what did I do? I screwed up and made her unhappy anyway. She has these haunting blue eyes that see right through me, and she's the most kind-hearted women you'll ever meet. Trust me when I say I've known a lot of women, but not one of them could hold a candle to her," Finn continued.

"You love her," I said, more of a statement than a question.

"I do love her, more than anything. I'd hoped that if I waited a while maybe she'd move past him and be ready for someone else, and maybe I'd have a chance. Then when she started trying to call me right before his wedding I...I panicked and thought she was trying to get me to help her stop the wedding so she could get back together with him, and it just...it killed me. I've never hurt so badly in my life, mate. I felt like I had nothing left in life. I tried to forget, I drank more than I've had to drink in years, and I went back to my old womanizing ways, and it hurt even worse the next morning because they weren't her," he said. He was now choking back tears.

"So you envisioned a future with her?" I asked him, wanting to know what he wanted from my baby girl.

"She's the only one I ever envisioned a future with. I'd marry that woman in a heartbeat, but she'll never give me the chance now because of how I handled things. I spent so long being mad at my best mate for hurting her, and I've done the same damn thing. That night she and I spent together was the best night of my life."

"So what now? Are you planning to just give up while she raises the baby?" I asked cautiously, trying not to sound too biased in either direction.

Finn sighed deeply, raking a finger through his messy hair. "I don't want to. She doesn't deserve to do any of this alone, but look at how badly I've hurt her without even realizing it, Mate…. I feel like she - _they_ \- might just better off without me in the way, making things worse…" he whispered, downing another drink of his scotch.

I needed to tread carefully, but I felt like he needed to hear what I had to say. "Finn, can I tell you what happened in my situation? You can take it with a grain of salt, but maybe it will help you - who knows?" I asked.

Finn nodded, and held his head in his hands, staring down at the bar, focused and ready to listen.

"We were sixteen when we found out she was pregnant. I was immature, irresponsible - hell, I was just a kid myself, and here I was about to have one of my own. I was terrified. Now, I cared about her, sure. And a part of me will always love her, although I'm not sure I ever felt for her what you feel for Rory. We were young, and dumb, and I knew our parents wanted us to get married, so I asked her, and she turned me down and ran away. I was - involved - if you could call it that. I pretty much skipped in and out of their lives whenever I felt like it, but I wasn't ever a "stable dad" type figure. She never kept me away from my daughter, and I will be forever grateful to her for that, but there were many times I didn't deserve for her to call me dad. One of the biggest regrets of my entire life is not being there through it all, but nothing could have made me realize it then, and nothing could have prepared me for how I would feel about it later. Now she's grown, about to have a child of her own, but I still can't help but to feel like I've failed her. So who knows - maybe, the reason I bumped into you tonight was to help you do the right thing, and be there for your child no matter what the outcome with the mother. My daughter's mother and I always had sort of an on again, off again type of relationship, but she deserved better than that. She has it now, but it took me a long time to be able to let her go and get that happiness. But you sound like your feelings for her are deeper than mine were. If you're serious about how you feel, and what you want, and you're willing to work harder than you've ever worked for anything before, there's no doubt in my mind that one day, you might just get everything you've ever wanted" I told him.

Finn nodded, and I was certain he was still listening to everything I had said.

"Well mate, I should get out of here" he said, taking his last drink of scotch and standing up, just to sit back down immediately. "Soon as the bloody room would stop spinning, that is."

"Are you far from here? Let me take you home, man. You'll never make it there otherwise" I said.

"Ah, yeah, that might be a good idea, Mate. Thank you. What was your name?" He asked.

"Christopher" I said, wrapping his arm around me, standing him up.

"You're a good man, Christopher. Your daughter is lucky to have you" he said, as he stumbled out beside me.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: For those of you who are on the edge of your seats, we're posting today's chapter a bit earlier in the day. Enjoy! :-)

After a fun evening of going to the Black-White-Read theater, I walked through the center of town with the members of Hep Alien. We made our way to the Gazebo and were all sitting on benches nearby, talking.

"Thank you guys, tonight was a lot of fun. Exactly what I needed to take my mind off of things for a couple hours" I told them.

Lane wrapped an arm around me and tilted her head to mine. "Anytime. What else would I be doing besides helping to cheer up my best friend when she's in need?" she asked.

"Yeah, and we all love you to death, you're an awesome chick, so we'd do anything to help" Gil promised.

I smiled and looked up at him. "Well, thank you" I said appreciatively.

"Hey, who's that guy walking around town?" Brian asked Zach, seeing someone they've never seen before.

"Miss Patty's gotten a hold of him. Whoever he was, he's a goner, now" Zach teased of Miss Patty's antics.

"Well, we've got to get going. My momma always complains if she has to sit with Steve and Kwan past ten o'clock at night" Lane said.

"Okay, I'm just going to hang out here for a few more minutes before I head back. It's nice and peaceful out here" I told her, standing up to hug them all. "Seriously, though, guys. I wouldn't have been able to survive so much time away from my mom right now if it weren't for you guys" I told them.

"Totally okay, man" Zach said.

"Glad we could help" Brian agreed.

With that, the group was gone and I was left alone. I sat back down, this time on the gazebo steps, and brought my knees up to my chest. I was getting chilly, but I wasn't ready to go in just yet.

Finn's POV

I finally got away from that delightfully scary woman, and found a group of people walking towards me.

"Hi, excuse me, I was wondering if you might be able to help me? I'm looking for someone" I asked.

Three men and a cute Asian woman stopped and looked at me in surprise. I was sure it was the accent, since that gets most people, but the girl almost looked happily surprised, but I couldn't quite put my finger on the expression she had on her face.

"Well that depends, compadre - who are you looking for?" Zach asked.

"Her name is Rory Gilmore - do you know her, by chance?" I asked the group.

The girl's eyes lit up and she smiled. "That girl just so happens to be my best friend, and I just left where she was. She's sitting in the gazebo, doing some soul searching" Lane told him, nodding towards the structure.

I followed the nod, and saw her silhouette sitting on the steps. "Ah, that she is. I see her now. Well, it was nice to meet you, best friend. And thank you for your help" I said, walking away and making my way over to her.

"Who was that?" Zach asked his wife in confusion.

"That's Finn. You'll find out who he is soon enough" she told him, keeping Rory's secret, and walking back towards the house, the guys following dumbfounded.

I walked slowly toward the gazebo and just watched her silently for a minute. She looked so lost in her thoughts. I finally swallowed hard and walked up to her, holding a cup of coffee from Luke's out to her as a bit of a peace offering.

"You look like you could use some coffee" I said quietly.

She looked up suddenly and looked to be shocked to see me there.

"Finn? You're...what are you doing here? I didn't think…" she trailed off.

"You didn't think I was going to come" I finished for her.

"No" she whispered quietly as she looked down at her shoes.

"I'm sorry, love. When you came to see me I assumed that the baby was Logan's."

"The baby is yours, Finn. I'm absolutely certain - there was no one else it could have been" she said quietly.

"I wanted to apologize for what I said when you came to my office. I was a real ass."

"You were" she said with a small smile. "Why are you here now? I'd assumed that you didn't want to have anything to do with me since I hadn't heard from you."

"I just...I needed some time to really let things sink in, Rory. This all still seems a bit surreal. We had one crazy night together and now you're pregnant with my baby. It's a lot to take in" I said.

"Tell me about it. I've had a hard time wrapping my head around it, too. It really just sank in for me last week."

"So, I guess about 11 weeks, based on what I've read online and when we were together?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"And everything is okay with the pregnancy?"

"Everything is good so far. I'm tired and nauseated, but otherwise baby and I are both healthy so far. I'm due May 26th" Rory replied.

"Look, I know that I didn't react to the news well, nor did I get that the baby was mine until I talked to Logan after his conversation with you, but I...I want to be here, for you and for our baby. I won't let you do this alone, Rory. We're in this together. I just need you to be honest with me" I said quietly.

"Honest? About what, Finn?" Rory asked, her confusion evident.

"Were you disappointed when you found out the baby was mine and not Logan's?" I asked quietly.

"I was...surprised. I had assumed that it was Logan's, but I'm grateful not to be throwing a kink in his dynastic plan. I'm truly happy for him and Odette. What he and I had was good while it lasted, but it's past time for us both to move on."

"That tells me how you feel about Logan, but how are you feeling about being tied to me through our child?" I asked hesitantly. It might hurt, but I had to know.

"I'm still kind of processing that, honestly, Finn. At first I thought that everything would be okay. I mean, we've always had such a great friendship and gotten along so well, and I really thought that we could do this. But then you ignored my calls, and I saw the pictures of you with all of those other women in the spread about Logan's wedding, and you were so cold when I saw you in your office. It hurt, Finn" she said with tears in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Rory. I didn't mean to hurt you, honestly. I really thought that you were calling me to try to get me to help you stop the wedding because you wanted to be with Logan, and I couldn't do it. I never even listened to the messages. I should have known you better than that" I whispered.

"I wouldn't do that to you, Finn. You mean too much to me for me to put you in that situation; it just wouldn't be fair."

I felt myself hanging on by a thread and torn between the desire to completely come clean about my actions and why I had acted the way I did and the desire to minimize the chance of getting hurt. I needed to pull myself back from the edge.

"So, you have an appointment coming up soon. Can I come with you?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Of course. It's your baby, too."

"Thank you. For telling me that I'm going to be a father, and for not throwing things at me when I showed up here tonight, and for giving me the chance to be part of this. I know I haven't exactly inspired confidence lately, but I'm here, Rory, and I'm not going anywhere. We'll figure this all out together" I assured her.

"Thank you, Finn" she whispered.

"Well, it's late and I have to drive back to Boston, so I'd better get going."

"There's an apartment over the diner; you're welcome to stay there tonight. I'd hate for you to drive back so late" she offered.

"If you're sure it's no bother then that would be great, love. You and I have a lot to talk about still. Perhaps we could have breakfast tomorrow?"

"I'd like that, Finn. I'll take you to the apartment so you can get settled in, and then I'll head back to my house."

"Thank you, Rory. Say, you wouldn't happen to have an extra phone charger, would you? My phone died, and I don't have mine with me" I asked.

"Sure, we'll walk to my house first and then I'll take you to the diner."

Rory and I walked into the diner apartment twenty minutes later and I immediately plugged in my phone before turning back to Rory.

"Well, I'll see you in the morning" I said.

"Sure, I'll call you when I get up, or you can call me. Either way is good" she rambled. She was so cute when she rambled.

She walked out the door and I sighed and looked around the small apartment. I checked my phone to ensure it had turned on before going to bed so that Rory could reach me and was immediately alerted to dozens of missed calls and voicemails from my friends. It looked like they had been trying to get in touch with me all week. I had a lot of explaining to do, but it could wait until tomorrow. I fired off one quick text to Colin.

 _I'm fine. Just been going through a bit of...stuff. I'll explain more later. -F_


	18. Chapter 18

Rory's POV

I had been tossing and turning - not able to get to sleep, even though I'd been trying for a couple hours. Knowing he was this close, fearing he could run away again at any moment and change his mind about everything we talked about tonight. I took a couple of melatonin, even, and sleep still would not come.

I rolled over and groaned when the alarm clock read 1am. I just wanted to sleep, and deal with life in the morning. Was that too much to ask? According to my body, it was.

Finn's POV

I glanced at the clock on the night stand - was it really already after one in the morning? Nothing I could do to grab some sleep was working. I knew I needed to be well-rested and alert for her tomorrow, but I couldn't seem to force sleep to overtake me. I tossed and turned in the bed what seemed like every two seconds. I couldn't get comfortable, I was too anxious to continue our conversation from tonight.

I wished I'd brought something to occupy my mind, at least try to make myself tired, but I was stuck staring at the ceiling of a room I wasn't even sure I belonged in. I had no idea whose home I was in, where they were or when they would be back - hell, I didn't even know if they knew I was here. Wouldn't that be an awkward conversation...

I tossed and turned some more, punching the pillow as if it had something to do with my lack of sleep, and suddenly I heard what sounded like a door opening and shutting downstairs.

I would have thought I was imagining things, except I distinctly remember hearing a bell whenever I came in, and the same bell now...

I froze in place, not sure what I should do, or if I should get up and get ready to go - so I stayed right where I was as I could hear the slightest sound of footsteps coming up the stairs.

"Shit" I whispered to myself, my heart racing out of my chest now trying to figure out what to be prepared for. I'm not sure that being in your boxers in some stranger's apartment qualifies as being ready for anything…

Then I heard it. The doorknob to the apartment door was turning, slowly, and quietly. Was the apartment being robbed!? Was I going to be some sort of an accessory to a crime!?

The door pushed open quietly, and the shadow of a person poked their head in, and closed the door behind them. The shape crossed in front of a window, walking towards me, and I let out a sigh of relief when I realized who it was.

"You about scared me to death, Love. What are you doing here, are you okay?" I asked, sitting up in bed.

"I just couldn't sleep. And I kind of wanted to check on you - and see, well, if you were still here" she whispered. Hearing her lack of faith in me was upsetting, but I remember I didn't exactly do anything to deserve credit much higher than that.

"I told you - we're in this together" I whispered.

"I know. I'm just...I'm scared, Finn. I'm going to be a mom. _We're_ going to have a baby. How's this going to work?" she asked quietly.

I patted the spot next to me on the bed and she sat down and tucked her feet under herself.

"I don't know exactly how it's going to work, Rory. I know that I'm going to go to your next appointment with you, and all of the appointments after that if it's at all humanly possible. I know that we're going to do everything we can to prepare for the arrival of our little one. I know that we both grew up with parents who love us, and we're going to love our kid so much. I know that you're going to be an amazing mom, kitten. Goodness knows you got a lot of experience with us all in college. We have so many things to figure out still, but I know that we'll figure it out together," I told her sincerely.

"Finn, I'm thirty-two years old, I don't have a job that actually pays me, and I live with my mom. I'm just not sure I can do this."

"Look at me, love." I waited for her to make eye contact with me. "Your age has nothing to do with whether or not you can do this, okay? I'm certain that between the two of us, we can find you a job that will include a paycheck. As for living arrangements, we'll figure something out for you if you don't want to live with your mom after the baby's born. We have months ahead of us to get this all squared away; we don't have to figure it all out tonight" I assured her.

"You're right. I'm just a planner, and a list-maker, and I'm so task-driven. It makes me feel better to get everything situated right away."

"Well, I think we'd both better become accustomed to a bit of chaos - we're having a baby" I chuckled.

Rory stared at me silently for a moment before speaking again.

"We're having a baby, Finn" she whispered.

"That's what I hear, yes."

"I'm pregnant. With our child. Wow" she said in awe.

"I'd kind of expected that you already would have had this moment of realization" I said quietly.

"I have, several times. It's just...having you here with me has made it incredibly real."

"Is it okay that I'm here?" I asked quietly. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know the answer to that question.

"Of course, Finn. I...I could do this myself if I had to, but I don't want to. I want you here with us" she answered as her hand unconsciously went to her still-flat stomach.

"Then I'm here, Rory. I screwed up royally over the last few weeks, but I won't leave you now. I'm just a phone call away anytime you need me - and I'll actually answer when you call from now on" I said with a sheepish smile.

She laughed, a beautiful, happy laugh, and yawned.

"You look exhausted" I told her gently, but her eyes were already starting to drift closed. She just nodded and curled into the blankets. I watched her for a few minutes as she fell asleep and swallowed the lump in my throat. Perhaps the guy I met at the bar, Chris, was right. Maybe if I was willing to give it everything, someday I would have everything I wanted. I gently laid Rory down, kissed her on the forehead, and covered her up.

"Sleep tight, love" I whispered quietly before moving to the couch for the night. I wanted so badly to stay in that bed, feeling her warmth as I slept, but I wanted to go slow. If I was going to hope for any of this to work - friends or otherwise - I couldn't push her into anything she wasn't comfortable with. But just having her there, knowing she was there with me and sleeping peacefully nearby, for tonight that was enough.


	19. Chapter 19

Rory's POV

I woke up the next morning feeling so much more rested than I have in as long as I can remember - certainly not since before I found out about the life inside of me. I remembered falling asleep next to Finn, but he wasn't there beside me now. I looked around and spotted him asleep on the couch across the room, and I couldn't help but smile, thinking to myself how sweet of him it was that he wouldn't automatically assume I'd be okay with him sleeping beside me - truth be told it wouldn't have been an issue, but I appreciated the gesture nonetheless. I guess I can understand though, considering the last time we shared a bed, I didn't stick around long enough to sleep…

I couldn't help it, I walked over to where Finn laid on the couch, noticing he'd slept without a blanket or pillow all night, and the chill of the morning was heavy in the air. I'd brought him the blanket from the bed, and laid it across him, gently covering him and tucking it in around him. He shifted in his sleep, and a smile crept onto his face, but he didn't show any signs of waking just yet. I sat there on the floor, beside him, taking in how sweet he looked fast asleep, happy he kept his promise about not going anywhere.

Absentmindedly I reached up and ran my fingers through his curls, brushing them away from his forehead. I could hear him whine a little as he shifted again. "I'm never leaving her again" I heard him mumble in his sleep, before turning onto his side, facing the back of the couch and his back towards me. I bit my lower lip at his unconscious revelation, and couldn't help but smile. "Maybe, just maybe, he won't run away this time" I thought to myself, as I picked myself up off the floor. I couldn't let myself get my hopes up, of course, but I could be content for the moment. With that, I decided I would go in and take a shower while he was still sleeping, to pass some time before breakfast.

Finn's POV

When I woke up, I'd been covered by a blanket, but Rory was nowhere to be found. "Ah. So she makes a habit of leaving before I wake up, then" I muttered to myself, sitting up and rubbing my face. I got up and walked over to the bathroom, and much to my surprise, I could hear the shower running - she didn't leave?

I knocked gently on the door. "Rory, you okay, Love?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I'll be done in a minute, Finn" she called, and the water turned off after a moment longer.

"No rush, I just wanted to check on you" I said, walking away from the door to give her some privacy.

A few minutes later she emerged from the room, dressed back in her pajamas from the night before, her wet hair falling down around her shoulders.

"You can go ahead, I'm done for now" she told me. I nodded and awkwardly walked past her, smelling her shampoo as I passed and just wanted to pull her into my arms - but I refrained, and shut the door behind me.

When I came back out, after I'd confirmed that she'd left me no hot water, she was sitting down on the couch, seemingly waiting for me.

"Well, I'm afraid I'm as ready as I'm going to be able to get, Love. I wasn't really planning on a sleepover when I came" I told her.

She shrugged. "You look fine, Finn" she said, getting up and walking back to the bathroom where I watched her put her hair up into a clip.

"Whose place is this, anyway, Love?" He asked, looking around.

"It was Luke's before he moved in with my mom. It's pretty vacant now, but I use it from time to time, or Jess does too whenever he comes to visit" she told me.

"Jess?" I asked, the name not ringing any bells.

"Luke's nephew - my ex from forever ago. Before I met you guys" she said.

"Oh" I said with a nod, since I really didn't have a better response.

She breezed back into the room beside me and grabbed her phone and keys. "You ready?" She asked.

I nodded and followed her down the stairs.

"I thought we'd go to my house so I can change if that's okay? I have an extra toothbrush there you can use, too," she offered.

"Sounds like a plan."

We reached the bottom of the stairs and she stopped and put her finger up to her lips, motioning for me to be quiet. She peeked through the curtain and turned back to me.

"We're going to sneak out the back so the entire town doesn't see us" she whispered. She reached out and took my hand and pulled me through a storeroom and out a service door into an alley.

"Is there a reason we didn't want them all to see us? I mean, they'll see us when we have breakfast shortly, right?" I asked, wondering about her logic.

"They will see us in the diner, but if they saw us coming down the stairs together this morning Miss Patty and Babette would have the rumors spread all over town before we ever got to my house. Stars Hollow loves gossip" she explained.

"Ah, I see. So we'll be safe from the gossip this way?"

Rory chuckled and rolled her eyes.

"You're adorable when you're naive. No, the gossip will just be a bit less racy. Between your accent and charm and your expensive car parked outside the diner, they'll be gossiping for days."

"Well, sorry to add fodder for the gossip mill, love" I replied sheepishly. I moved to run my hands through my hair and startled a bit as I realized we were still holding hands. "Sorry, I didn't realize…" I trailed off, pointing at our joined hands.

"Oh! No, I'm sorry" Rory said with a blush. "I mean, not that it's anything to be sorry about, really. It's not like it's a bad thing. Well, it's...different...and...I'm just going to...take my hand back now" she finished, obviously flustered.

I couldn't help but tease her a bit - she looked so cute with a blush rising up her cheeks.

"Who's adorable now, kitten?" I chuckled.

"Very funny, mister" she huffed as we walked up onto the porch of her house.

I followed her to the bathroom and took the toothbrush and toothpaste that she offered me.

"I'm just going to go change, and I'll be right back" she said as she backed out of the bathroom.

I brushed my teeth and waited in the living room for her to return from changing out of her pajamas. As I stood there I couldn't help but notice the pictures on the fireplace mantle and the walls. I smiled to myself as I saw Rory growing up in front of me, from a baby to her college graduation and beyond. Suddenly my breath caught in my throat as I saw the grainy black and white printed photo stuck in the corner of the frame. It was our baby - a tiny little dot, but our child. I swallowed hard and willed myself not to get emotional, but it was a sobering moment to see the evidence of our night together right there in black and white. I was so caught up in looking at the picture that I didn't even hear her walk up behind me.

"Hey, you ready for breakfast?" she asked.

I pulled myself from my thoughts and turned to her.

"Yeah, breakfast," I mumbled. "But first...is that our baby?" I whispered, pointing to the picture that had captured my attention.

"Yeah, that's from my first appointment, about a month ago. I was right around eight weeks along then; I got to hear the heartbeat and everything" she said with a small smile.

"Wow. Do you think maybe we'll get to hear it again at the next appointment?"

"I think there's a really good chance. Give me just a second" she said as she walked back toward her bedroom. She returned a minute later and handed me an envelope. I looked at it quizzically and opened it to find the same picture inside.

"It's the copy I asked them to make for you. I had hoped that you would want it" she said hesitantly, looking at me with those big blue eyes.

"Of course I want it, love" I replied with a smile. "Now, let's go feed you and our baby."


	20. Chapter 20

Rory's POV

Finn and I made our way back to Luke's, and we walked inside. I looked around, pleasantly surprised to see that we successfully made it in between the breakfast and lunch crowds, so we didn't have to worry about being the center of too much gossip right off the bat.

He guided me to a table with his hand in the small of my back, and we sat in a fairly secluded area near the counter.

"I figured we could talk easier if we weren't right in the middle of the diner" he said with a shrug, and I agreed appreciatively.

"I know it seems insane, but that's really the best way to describe the town, really. Insane. They jump on new information and want to know all the details immediately. If I didn't love all these crazy people I would have already suggested that the whole town be a part of a psychiatric case study" I teased with a smile.

He chuckled with his eyes shining. Lane came over to take our order, and I introduced them. "Oh I already know - I met him last night" she said with a sly smile.

"You did?" I asked in confusion, turning to Finn, who was nodding.

"The best friend, yes. Nice to put a name with the title, Lane, and nice to officially meet you" he said, extending his hand to her for a handshake.

"You too, Finn. So I guess you spent the night?" She asked and Finn nearly choked in surprise.

"She's fine, I don't lump her in the same category as the gossips" I assured him with a smile.

He laughed and relaxed a bit. "I stayed in the apartment upstairs, actually, so yeah" he said.

"Good. You two have a lot to catch up on. Can I bring you some drinks?" She asked.

I laughed at the expression on Finn's face when she said what she did. "She also already knows. Best friend privileges. I'll take a coffee, and my usual whenever he's ready to order" I told her.

He shook his head with a laugh, this visit quickly becoming full of surprises around every corner. "Just a water for me, please, and whatever she's eating, just bring me the same" he said.

"Brave man" she said, and walked off with almost a skip in her step.

He turned to me once again with an amused expression. "Should I prepare for the worst? What the hell did I just order?" He asked with a laugh.

I shrugged. "You'll probably be just fine" I teased.

"Probably" he mused with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. "That's not very encouraging."

Our banter was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. He looked at the screen and hit the ignore button.

"Colin - apparently they're all worried about me. They'd been calling all week, but my phone was dead. I let them know last night that I was okay, but now they all want to know what's going on."

"What are you going to tell them?" I whispered.

"I'm not going to tell them anything until we talk and figure out what we want to say, love. I have far too much respect for you to just let them all in the middle of our business. I - I'm sorry, my phone again" he told me, holding his phone up to show Colin calling him again. "Perhaps I should take this outside for a moment so he'll leave us in peace."

"Sure, I'll just be right here" I agreed.

Finn's POV

I stepped outside the diner and hit the talk button on my phone, bracing myself for my best mate's frantic phone call.

"Colin, Mate. What can I do for you?" I asked him.

"It's about damn time you answered your phone, Finn. What's going on with you?"

"I've been...dealing with some stuff. I needed some time alone" I answered cryptically.

"Cut the crap, Finn. I know you better than that."

"Look, I can't really go into it all right now. I'm in the middle of something, but I'll call you tonight and fill you in on everything, alright?"

"You're sure you're okay, man? We've all been worried about you" Colin asked.

"I'm fine now, Mate. It's been a rough couple of weeks, but things are looking up. I'll be in touch later tonight. I need to run now."

"Alright, bye, Finn" Colin said before the line went dead.

I walked back into the diner and sat down as our food was delivered to our table.

"Everything okay?" Rory asked me.

"Yeah, everything is good, love. He was just worried about me" I assured her.

"What did you tell him?"

"I just let him know that I was fine and would call him later today. I think you and I need to have a talk before I decide how much to tell my friends."

"Thank you, Finn. I...just...thank you for not spilling everything to them all yet" she said quietly.

I reached across the table and tentatively touched her hand for a moment.

"Hey, we're in this together, love. It's not about you or me right now - it's about our little one and deciding how we're going to work this out together" I said soothingly.

"Well, again, thank you" she said as a blush traveled up her face.

I pulled my hand back and continued.

"So, I guess we should decide how we want to handle this. I assume...I mean, I hope that we're going to raise our child together somehow?" I asked.

"Of course! I mean, that's what I want. I don't have any desire to keep this little one from his or her father, but it's up to you, really" she said quickly.

"Let me be very clear, Rory. I know my actions the last few weeks have been less than reassuring, but I am in this completely - I will be a father to our child."

"Good" she replied with a small smile. "So I guess we'll just tell them that we're having a baby and we're going to figure out what raising our child together looks like for us?"

"That's exactly what we'll tell them, although I do think we should try to keep Logan from getting word of this just for a bit. Obviously, he knows you're pregnant, but I need to have a personal conversation with him to let him know what happened between us and that I'm the father. I owe him that much. It's not going to be an easy conversation, but I have to do it" I admitted.

"Sure, whatever you need."


	21. Chapter 21

Finn's POV

Rory walked me out to my car after our morning together. I was grateful that we'd gotten the opportunity to try to get on the same page for our plan going forward with things. Now I needed to head to Colin's to talk with him before driving back to Boston.

"Thank you again for coming here, Finn, and for...well, for being here. I feel a lot better knowing that you're in this with me," Rory said quietly as we were standing at my car.

"Of course, love. Like I said, I'm just sorry that it took me so long to get myself together, but you won't have to worry about that again. I'd better head off to Colin's, but I'll talk with you this week, and then I'll see you for your appointment a week from Monday if not before. Maybe we could have dinner after the appointment?" I asked.

"Yeah, that would be really nice. It would be nice to get to spend time with you after I see the doctor," she answered with a smile.

"Well, perhaps we'll make it a standing date after all of your appointments then?" I asked hopefully. It would be wonderful to get to spend some time with her other than during appointments, and I needed to do everything possible to show her that I could be trusted.

"I would like that," she replied quietly.

"Good. I'll talk to you soon, kitten, yeah?" I asked as I got in my car.

"Yeah. Call me to let me know you got home okay?"

"Of course. I'll talk to you tonight. Bye, Ror," I replied, pulling her in for a hug.

"Bye, Finn." She whispered, hugging me back. I didn't want to let her go, but I knew if I didn't, I never would.

"Take care of you both, and we'll talk soon, okay?" I asked, pulling away and getting into my car.

She nodded and just waved slightly as I backed out of the driveway, before she turned to head back into the house.

I pulled up in front of Colin and Stephanie's house and took a moment to pull myself together. Despite our close friendship, this conversation wasn't going to be easy, but I needed someone I could talk to, and I knew Colin wouldn't let me continue dodging him. After gathering my wits I finally got out of my car and walked to the front door. Just as I raised my hand to ring the bell, Colin opened the door with a serious look on his face. I'd seen that look many times - that look meant that he was in no mood to shoot the breeze; he wanted answers.

"What, were you standing at the window watching for me, Mate?" I asked with a chuckle, trying to interject some humor in the situation.

"Come in, Finn. I suspect we have a lot to talk about," Colin said firmly.

We walked into his living room and he made us each a scotch before he joined me in sitting down.

"Before we talk… where's your lovely wife? This sort of needs to be between just you and I for now…" I said.

"Steph's out having a girls night with some of the wives from my office… Finn, do I even want to know where you've been the last two weeks? Let me guess...off with your harem? In the hospital for alcohol poisoning...? What was it this time?"

"Nah, Colin. It's nothing quite like that," I assured him.

"So then it's nothing serious?" he asked.

"No, it actually is quite serious, but nothing like what you mentioned," I answered evasively.

"What exactly is that supposed to mean, man?" he asked, frustration evident in his voice.

"Look, there are several things that I need to tell you, but first I need your assurances that nothing I tell you goes beyond you and me, not even with Stephanie. I'll explain why later, although I think it will be pretty bloody obvious," I began explaining.

"Shit, you're serious, aren't you? Alright, you have my attention, and I won't breathe a word of it to anyone - Steph included," he assured me.

I rubbed my hands over my face and sighed.

"There's no easy way to tell you this, Mate. About a month before New Hampshire, Rory and I spent one night together. I don't want to go into details of how or why it happened right now out of respect for her, but I will say that what happened between us wasn't planned."

I saw Colin begin to open his mouth to speak and held up my hand to quiet him.

"Just...let me get this all out, okay? Then you can have your turn. You know how I feel about her - I'm crazy about that woman. When she started calling me before the wedding I stupidly assumed that she was calling to tell me that it was a mistake and to ask for my help in getting Logan back, but I couldn't have been more wrong. That day she showed up in my office and told me that she was pregnant and I assumed it was Logan's? It wasn't, or isn't. The baby is mine - Rory and I are expecting. She's almost thirteen weeks along," I finished, and I nodded to him when he raised his eyebrow at me.

"So you've been with her the last two weeks?" he asked.

"No, I haven't," I admitted reluctantly. "I called and told Logan about the pregnancy, still thinking it was his, and he called me back after he talked to her and told me that the baby belonged to some guy she was with a month prior to our last hurrah in New Hampshire. Things finally clicked in my head and I...I kind of dropped off the face of the earth. I was so upset with myself for the way I had treated Rory and I was really hurting over wanting to be with her so badly but not being able to. I basically spent two weeks drinking and avoiding reality."

"Wow," Colin whispered in response. "So you and Rory haven't talked?"

"No, we have talked. I showed up in Stars Hollow last night, and she and I got some things out in the open. I apologized for the way I handled things, and we spent some time together. I let her know that I'm going to be here for her and our baby all the way."

"You're going to be a dad," Colin said, realization dawning on him.

"I am, mate. And we'll tell the gang that we're expecting, but I don't want it to get back to Logan quite yet; I feel like I owe it to him to have a conversation in person."

"He's going to be upset. You know that, right? No matter that he's married and putting everything into his relationship with Odette, he's going to be pissed that you slept with Rory," Colin told me seriously.

I took a deep breath and nodded understandingly. "I know, mate. And part of me feels absolutely awful for what I did. Believe it or not, I actually tried really hard to make sure something like that never happened - but I slipped up. We both had a moment of weakness, and I can't honestly say I regret that one bit. No, it may not be ideal, but I do love her, Mate" I whispered.

Colin nodded and refilled our glasses. "Yes, but be that as it may, Finn, he's still going to kick your ass" he said before taking a drink.


	22. Chapter 22

Rory's POV

It had been a couple of days since Finn had gone home, but he was making sure I knew he was still just a phone call away. He and I have talked on the phone for the last two nights. It's been strange, but nice, like a breath of fresh air in this whole situation.

Just as I was closing my laptop from filling out some applications for jobs in the area, I heard a car door shut outside. I jumped up and ran to the door to see my mom and Luke getting out of a cab and gathering their luggage.

"Mom!" I cried, running out to greet them - cursing myself for not thinking to put on a jacket or shoes in the cold November air.

"Rory! I've missed you so much!" She exclaimed, rushing to me and throwing her arms around me tightly.

"How was your trip!? Did you have fun in Florida!?" I asked.

"We had a great time, Sweets! But what about you? You seem - _happy_? It can't just be because of your long lost mother coming home, can it?" She asked, looking at me skeptically.

"No, I've got a lot to tell you. But can we go inside and do it? I'm freezing!" I begged. She nodded and led me inside.

After getting us both a cup of hot coffee, Luke took their suitcases upstairs so that mom and I could talk. He could sense it was mainly girly talk, and wanted an excuse to not be involved.

"So what's going on in your world, kid? What's got you in a better mood?" She asked as we sat down at the kitchen table.

"Well, the father for sure knows it's his - _now_. You were right. He had no idea when I first told him. And he came to visit a couple of days ago, and I let him spend the night in the diner apartment and we talked - a lot. He says he's going to be there for us, the baby and me" I said with a smile.

"Rory, that's great news - but only if he actually does what he says he's going to do… he's not exactly my favorite person right now for the way he's treated you in all of this…" she said cautiously.

"I know. Believe me, I get it. But I was thinking maybe we could all have dinner together - you, Luke, Finn and me" I said.

Lorelai about spit out her coffee hearing his name. "Finn!? The Aussie!? You're having a baby with Finn!?" She exclaimed.

"Mom, you knew this, I told you the other day…" I said.

"No - no, no, no my dear child. You _said_ you would tell me, and then you never did - your little exotic baby in there sucked out all your energy and you passed out before you told mommy it was _Finn's_!" She exclaimed.

Guilt spread over me. "How could I have forgotten that I didn't tell you?" I asked in disbelief.

"Sweets, pregnancy brain is no joke - it's real and sounds to me like you just had your first prime example. Prepare to forget your own name in a couple months' time" she teased.

"Oh god! Pregnancy just keeps getting more and more fun, doesn't it?" I said sarcastically with a laugh.

"Seriously, though, Finn!? Of all people to have a baby with, you chose _Finn_?" She asked, still trying to wrap her head around it.

"It's not like I chose for this to happen…" I reminded her.

"God, his reaction makes so much more sense now… wow…. _Finn_ " she repeated.

I groaned and rolled my eyes. "For what it's worth, his heart really does seem to be in the right place. He has been great since he came" I said.

"All two days ago…?" She asked incredulously.

"Yes, two days ago, along with texts and phone calls, and he wants to go to my next doctor's appointment with me. He says he wants to go to all of them with me. He says he won't let me do this alone and that he's sorry he was an idiot… Mom, I'm 99.9% sure he was sober the entire time he was here…. I've never seen him sober - or serious before - and he was both…" I told her.

"Well, invite him over. Tonight. I want to re-meet him" she said.

"What if he has plans tonight? This is pretty last minute to expect him to drive all the way here from Boston" I defended.

"Call him. If he comes, he earns brownie points" she said, and I walked into my room to do as I was asked.

Finn's POV

I smiled as I saw her caller ID come up on the screen. "Hello, Love. How are you feeling?" I asked softly.

"Feeling pretty okay. My mom came home today, and she said I seemed happier than before she left. I explained to her that you and I talked, and that you want to be involved, and - well - she wants to re-meet you" she said sheepishly.

"So she knows who I am, then?" I asked her. I knew how close she is to her mum, so her knowing isn't anything that bothered me.

"Apparently I had failed to mention it until I casually did today, and she almost had a fit, but I explained to her how well things have been since we talked, and she wants you to come for dinner. Tonight" she said.

"Tonight?" I asked, raking my hand through my hair. I had plans to go out with my sister tonight, trying to make amends for scaring her along with everyone else that was worried about me during my hiatus. I sighed, but decided I needed to jump through all the hoops they could throw at me right now if I wanted to get on their good sides. "What time? I'll be there" I said.

"Finn, if you have something else you need to -" she started, but I interjected.

"Nothing more important to me than having dinner with you tonight. Can I take you all out? My treat?" I asked.

"I'll talk to my mom and Luke and let you know" she said.

"You do that, and I'll start getting ready and heading that direction, Kitten" I said.

"Thank you" she whispered, I could hear the smile in her voice which made me want to burst. I caused that, which put a smile onto my face as well.

"Nonsense. I'll see you soon" I said, ending the call.


	23. Chapter 23

Finn's POV

Lorelai, Luke, Rory and I had settled into a table at Luke's favorite restaurant, Sniffy's. It was a slightly awkward situation, sitting there with them and the elephant in the room, but I did my best to make the evening pleasant and friendly. I was used to dodging curveballs thrown to me from all angles of society soirées, so it wasn't anything new for me.

"So Finn, tell us about you. I understand that you live in Boston. What do you do? Is your family in the area?" Lorelai asked awkwardly.

"My family is in Boston as well. I'm quite close to my parents and my sister, Eve. I work in the family business; I'm the Vice President of Corporate Infrastructure."

"And what is the family business?" Lorelai asked.

I blushed sheepishly and looked down for a moment before answering. It wasn't that I was ashamed of the family business - quite the opposite, in fact. It was always just slightly unnerving to admit how much my family was worth.

"We are the Morgans of JP Morgan Chase," I finally answered.

"Oh, wow," Lorelai replied in shock. Knowing her aversion to society, I had hoped to avoid that confession for a bit, but the cat was out of the bag now.

"Alright, I can't take it anymore. To hell with manners - how in the world did this happen?" she finally asked, pointing between myself and Rory. I looked to Rory for some direction and she just shrugged.

"Mom, you could have been a bit more subtle," Rory admonished Lorelai.

"Forget subtle, kid. I've been more than patient with the lack of information so far. I think I'm entitled to know how you got knocked up by the exotic one," Lorelai demanded playfully.

"Well, seeing how you're a mom, I thought for sure you knew about the birds and the bees," Rory said teasingly. Lorelai just stared us both down.

I cleared my throat and jumped in, hoping to win some brownie points with Luke and Lorelai by answering the question.

"I knew that Rory had broken things off with Logan and would be hurting, so I invited her out to dinner while I was in Hartford in hopes of cheering her up. We enjoyed dinner and some drinks, and we realized it was getting late, but we were both having such a good time catching up, that we weren't ready to call it a night yet. So, I took her out to a place that I go to a lot when I'm in town visiting my good friends Colin and Stephanie. They're open late with good music, good drinks, and it's a good place to blow off some steam after something stressful happens" I started. I notice that Lorelai was fixated on me and prompted me to continue on.

I sighed, but not enough to be noticed. It was getting down to the hardest part for me.

"I finally got Rory to loosen up enough to dance, and we were having a blast - laughing constantly - and she had forgotten about everything bad in her life for the moment. It was a beautiful thing to witness. We sat in a booth and got to talking about everything we could think of, trying to extend the night in any way we could. While we were talking, we continued drinking, and while we were drinking, things got a little carried away. I wanted to kiss your daughter more than I've ever wanted anything, but I didn't. I had too much respect for her, and my best friend, and the relationship they once shared to betray either of them that way. But when she kissed me, I lost all control. Before I knew it, we had ended up at my hotel room, and spent one perfect night together before I fell asleep and she took off before sunrise" I said.

"Thank you for sparing the details" Luke grumbled.

"Why didn't you call her after? Were you just using her?" Lorelai asked.

"Quite the opposite, I'm afraid. I was under the impression she hadn't wanted anything more and wanted to forget it ever happened, and so I tried to give her what I thought she had wished for" I responded.

"Okay, so that explains that, but something still doesn't add up here - if you 'respect' her as much as you say you do, then why would you ignore her phone calls for two whole weeks, and be as cold and heartless to her when she came to see you in your office? You seem to want me to believe you care a lot about her, and yet you were horrible to her when she needed you the most…" Lorelai gut-punched, and boy did it hurt.

"I - I don't have a good enough explanation to warrant my bad behavior. I can't make excuses for it, and so I won't. My reasoning was, that I thought she was trying to get me to help her stop Logan's wedding, because she wanted him back, and I just couldn't bring myself to do that to my best friend, nor could I bring myself to tell her no. So I didn't answer her calls. I couldn't even bring myself to listen to her voice messages. When she came to my office I was so angry with her for trying to put me in the middle that I wasn't thinking logically or listening to any reason. I didn't want her to want Logan anymore, because I knew how much loving him has hurt her recently, and I couldn't watch her attempting to continue down such a self-destructive path. I know _now_ that it shouldn't have been a concern, but it was and I reacted badly, and I'm trying desperately to repair the damage that I've caused" I admitted.

"I see," Lorelai said, her voice still cold and firm. "And how do you intend to be involved in your child's life?"

"I'll be honest - I'm still wrapping my head around this a bit more each day. I haven't worked things out for myself yet, and I know that Rory and I have a lot of decisions to make together as well. I do know that I'll do anything for Rory and our child. I don't want to be a part-time dad, so if need be, I'll do my best to relocate closer so I can be there for everything. I _want_ to be there for everything - the first steps, the first words, the t-ball games or dance recitals... Rory and our little one won't have to want for anything, including my attention. I'm completely committed to both of them," I assured her.

"You know that money can't buy everything," Lorelai said tersely.

"Absolutely. I just know that since money isn't an issue for me I will make certain that my child and their mum are well taken care of," I insisted.

Rory's POV

Dinner had been tense at best, and even though Finn had handled everything well I knew my mom still wasn't satisfied with the situation. We had arrived back at the house when Mom pulled me into the kitchen, leaving Luke and Finn in the living room.

"Mom, you're being a bit rude here. Finn will be leaving shortly - can't this wait?" I asked in frustration.

"No, it really can't, sweets. Look, I really want to believe he will be there through all of this, and I really want to trust that he won't just run off again, but I just can't - not yet - and it scares me that you're already jumping in head first - I'm worried you're just going to get hurt all over again."

"Mom, I'm not going to get hurt, okay? Finn and I are just figuring out how to do this parenting thing together as friends; there's nothing romantic going on between us. I'm not falling for him" I tried to reassure her.

"Are you sure, kiddo? I just worry about you. The last thing you need right now is a broken heart."

"I'm sure, Mom. There's not now, nor will there ever be, anything going on between Finn and me. He's not the type of guy that I could get involved with. There's nothing at all there, so you don't have to worry about a potential relationship between us," I said firmly.

Finn's POV

I'd gotten up to go to the restroom and stopped dead in my tracks as I heard the conversation happening between Rory and Lorelai in the kitchen. I knew I shouldn't be listening, but I couldn't force myself to walk away before the damage was done. As I heard those last words come from Rory, my heart broke in a million pieces all over again. I swallowed hard and walked into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I needed a few moments to pull myself together.

I swallowed the lump that was forming in my throat and ran my hands through my hair. I'd always loved my carefree lifestyle that included excessive amounts of woman and alcohol, but suddenly it was biting me in the ass. As much as it hurt, everything Lorelai said was justified, and it was only made worse by Rory's insistence that there would never be anything between us. Perhaps it was best for me to focus solely on our baby and accept that a relationship with Rory wasn't in the cards right now.

Rory's POV

Not too much later than that, I walked Finn out to his car - he was uncharacteristically quiet and I could tell something was on his mind.

"Hey, is everything okay?" I asked softly.

He shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, it's just been a heck of a night" he said, not revealing much of the entire truth.

"I know, and I'm so sorry for the way my mom bombarded you with questions tonight. I wasn't aware there would be a pop quiz that lasted longer than the dinner did...but thank you, really. It means so much to me that you would put yourself through the torture of that for our child" I said.

"That's not the only person I did it for, Rory" he said, looking deeply into my eyes and I smiled gratefully.

"Well, then thank you for doing it for me as well, then. You were amazing tonight, and I just want you to know how much I enjoy having you with me in all of this. It's been - a huge comfort, knowing that you'll be there for us. I couldn't do this without you" I promised him, wrapping my arms around him for a tight hug, breathing him in like a breath of fresh air, holding on just a little longer than I should have. "I appreciate you, Finn" I whispered, with a smile and a kiss on the cheek.

He smiled back slightly, and touched his forehead to mine. "Goodnight, Rory" he said, getting into his car, and driving away.


	24. Chapter 24

Finn's POV

I walked into my apartment for the first time in well over a week, and it felt foreign to me - like I no longer belonged in my own self-proclaimed 'bachelor pad' anymore, and that feeling hit me like a ton of bricks. If I wanted to become the father I knew I needed to be, I would have to have a more child-welcoming home, one that would be fun for a child to come home to, run around in, eat sugary cereals in, and watch cartoons in.

I tossed my keys down on the kitchen counter in a huff, and shook my head at the thought - everywhere I turned, I was reminded of the life I needed to give up to make room for my new one. The one I didn't ask for, but the one I would accept with open arms - no matter how difficult the task.

I took a deep breath and rubbed my hand over my mouth roughly. I knew what I needed to do, no matter how desperately I wished I didn't have to. Forgetting all about the time difference in the heat of the moment, I took out my cell phone and scrolled through, finding the number I needed, and sighed before finally making the decision to place the call before I lost my courage. This phone call very well may end my friendship, and I wasn't ready for that, but I had to do the right thing and tell Logan.

My heart was pounding but my mind was focused. I could hear the ringing over the phone line, and a sleepy voice answered. "Finn!? Is that you, man?"

I cleared my throat and nodded, forgetting he couldn't see me. "Yeah, it's me, Mate. I'm sorry if I woke you, but I needed to talk to you" I said quietly, realizing it must be in the middle of the night where he is.

"No, no, it's okay. Is everything okay, man? The others were so worried about you last time I heard from them - are you alright?" He asked me.

"Yes and no… like I said, I need to talk to you" I answered.

"What's going on, man? This sounds serious - did something happen to you while you were MIA?" he asked.

"Actually, something happened before I went MIA, and I disappeared off the face of the earth because of it. I just...I needed some time to process everything that's going on and figure out what I was going to do."

"Finn, I've never known you to beat around the bush. What's going on?" he asked, frustration evident in his voice.

"Look, Logan, there's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to come out with it and deal with the consequences as they come. Rory and I...I took her out to dinner about a month before New Hampshire because I knew she'd be hurting over breaking things off with you, and despite my best efforts to keep things strictly friendly, when she kissed me all self control went out the window. She and I ended up sleeping together, and the baby's mine," I admitted quietly. I had hoped I'd feel better having gotten that off my chest, but I didn't.

"I'm sorry, I just...did you say that you and Rory slept together? My best friend and my ex-girlfriend?" he asked. "I couldn't have heard that right."

"No, you heard right, Mate. I promise you, I didn't intend for it to happen. I was intent on ensuring nothing happened because I have far too much respect for you and for her," I said quietly.

"My brain's just having a bit of trouble comprehending this. Why did you call and tell me that she was pregnant with my baby, man? Were you trying to get out of taking responsibility for your kid?" Logan asked angrily.

"No, it was nothing like that. I'm sure it's obvious that I haven't been myself the last couple of months. I was hurting and upset, and when she showed up in my office and told me that she was pregnant I assumed that the baby was yours. I didn't realize I was wrong until you called me back, and when reality set in I kind of went off the deep end for a couple of weeks because I didn't know how to deal with it all" I admitted.

"So...you and Rory are together?" he asked quietly.

I sighed deeply and ran my hands through my hair. Admitting this would never get any easier.

"No, we're definitely not together. I couldn't have her even if I wanted her...she wouldn't want to get involved with me. She's made it clear that she doesn't trust me to be what she would need, so there's no point in even worrying about anything romantic between the two of us" I replied.

"So where exactly does that leave you two?"

"Well, we're going to figure out how to raise our child together. I don't really know what that will look like yet, but I know that I'm going to do whatever it takes to be the best dad to our baby, and the best co-parent I possibly can for Rory. I guess I'll probably be making a lot of changes in my life" I assured him.

"I...I really don't know what to say to this, Finn. I think maybe I need some time to wrap my head around this. It's all a bit much to take in, honestly" Logan said quietly.

"I understand, Mate. And I can't tell you enough how badly I feel...I hate that I may lose our friendship over this" I whispered, resigned to the very real possibility that Logan may never want to talk to me again.

"Just let me process everything and we'll talk again when I do, okay? But we'll be okay, somehow. It hurts to know that you two were together and that you're having a baby with the woman that I love, but I have no claim over her - I'm a married man now. We'll be okay somehow, Finn" he reassured me.

"Thanks, Logan. I really appreciate you being willing to work through this. Call me when you're ready to talk."

"I'll do that, man. But Finn? You'd better take care of those two or you'll have hell to pay" he warned me.

"That's all I want, Mate - to take care of Rory and our baby" I whispered before I heard the line go dead.


	25. Chapter 25

Rory's POV

There was a knock on the front door, and I answered it quickly, knowing it was Finn picking me up for the doctor's appointment. I was interested to see his reaction, since this was the first appointment he was going to be able to go to. I was just happy that he'd been consistently reliable every time he said he would be.

"Hi" I said, opening the door with a smile.

"Hey, you ready?" He asked. I nodded and grabbed my purse, walking out the door with him. He was being friendly, but not overly so. I could tell something was wrong but I couldn't put my finger on what it was.

The ride to doctor's office started slightly awkward, and I looked up at him, trying to figure out what was going on. "Are you okay?" I asked him cautiously.

He shrugged. "I'm okay, I've just been doing a lot of thinking lately. I haven't heard from Logan since he and I talked, and it's been quite a few days" he said.

I nodded understandingly. He had told me about their conversation, and how that played out. "I'm sorry, that's got to be so rough" I said softly.

He nodded, but kept focused on the road. "So I have been talking with everyone else, and we're all meeting up later on tonight for drinks. They've all been hounding me to come talk to them since I went MIA, and then with everyone being busy with Thanksgiving last week, this was the first chance we all had to get together. I know you can't drink, but I was wondering if maybe you'd like to come along? I'm thinking this is the perfect opportunity to break the news to the rest of the gang" he said, looking over at me.

"And Colin hasn't told anyone? Not even Stephanie?" I asked.

"I would think if he had, I would've heard about it by now" he said, and I nodded in agreement.

"Are you sure you want me there for that? I mean, I love them all to death, but they're your friends, not mine. They never contacted me while Logan and I were split up, so I just assumed that I wasn't that important to them" I said.

"It's not that they're not your friends, it's just awkward to stick around and stay friends with an ex girlfriend when you're still friends with the guy she broke up with" he said.

"But then why did you call me? Wasn't it awkward for you, too?" I asked curiously.

He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I missed you" he said honestly with a shrug.

I looked down to my lap and smiled to myself. "Well, I'd missed you too" I admitted.

He smiled as well, and kept his eyes focused on the road. "So…" he said, trying to change the subject. "Can I count you in for tonight, then?" He asked as we pulled into the parking lot of the doctor's office.

"Yeah, I mean, it may be an insanely awkward situation to put myself into, but I'll go. It would be nice to see everyone again. So Colin and Steph are actually married now?" I asked as we got out of the car.

He chuckled. "Actually, everyone in the Life and Death Brigade paired up, except for Logan and Odette, and me and, well, no one" he said.

"So who paired up?" I asked interestedly.

"Well, Colin and Steph got married a few years ago. Robert and Juliet are dating - it's been a while, and seems to be going well. I wouldn't be surprised if they're the next to get married. And then there's Seth and Rosemary, but they say they're not exclusive - although I think they are. They don't generally like each other to be with anyone else. I think they're just in denial" he said.

"Wow. And you? You're not seeing anyone?" I asked bluntly.

He chuckled and held the door open for me as we walked inside the building. "No, Love. I had a bit of a crazy time in London while I was there for the wedding, but other than that, I haven't been with anyone since you" he said - and then he immediately regretted giving out that information.

I looked at him in surprise, but could see the sheepish expression on his face and chose not to push it. I signed myself in, and he sat down in a chair, seeming nervous all of a sudden. "You okay?" I asked with a laugh.

"Yeah, I'm just suddenly hyper aware that this is all brand new to me. I don't really know what to do" he said and I smiled at him warmly.

"Just wait here, I have to go give a urine sample and then I'll be right back" I promised. He nodded and watched me disappear from the waiting room.

I returned a few minutes later to find him sitting there reading through a copy of Parents magazine. He was so intent on the article that he was reading that he didn't even see me sit down next to him. I watched him for a moment, lost in concentration and then leaned over to him.

"Something interesting?" I asked him.

"Huh? Oh, sorry about that, kitten. I was just reading about babyproofing" he admitted with a blush. I was just about to tease him about being so focused when the nurse came out and called my name.

"Right here" I replied as we both stood and followed her back. We stopped at the scale to get my weight and I shot Finn a stern look before stepping on the scale.

"If you dare tell anyone how much I weigh…" I threatened.

"Relax, Love. Your secret is safe with me, and besides, you're bloody perfect" he said before he even realized what he was saying.

"This one's a keeper" the nurse replied as she wrote down my weight and led us into the exam room. She took my vitals and then left us to wait for the doctor. Within a few minutes, Dr. Abbott knocked and walked into the room.

"Rory, it's great to see you again. Might this be daddy?" she asked with a warm smile.

"Yes, this is Finn Morgan. Finn, this is Dr. Abbott" I replied quietly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Abbott" Finn said as he shook her hand.

"It's nice to meet you as well, Finn. I know Rory wished you had been here with her for her last two visits" Dr. Abbott said, and I cringed at hearing her say that. I didn't want Finn to feel guilty over that anymore; we needed to move on.

He made eye contact with me and reached over and rested his hand on mine for a moment. "I wish I would have been here as well" he whispered. I swallowed hard trying to keep my emotions at bay; these pregnancy hormones were going to be the death of me.

"Well, I'll just have a look at Rory to make sure everything still looks good, and then we'll get you two out of here."

Dr. Abbott examined me, palpating my barely-visible baby bump, before helping me to sit back up.

"Well, everything looks good to me. Are you having any troublesome issues?" Dr. Abbott asked me.

"No, I'm feeling pretty well" I assured her.

"Excellent. Do you have any questions, Dad?" she asked Finn.

"No, I think I'm good if she's good. I had hoped we'd get to see the baby today, though, since I wasn't here for the first ultrasound" he said. I could see the disappointment in his eyes, and I was a bit surprised. He really was taking this seriously.

"Well, we don't normally do another ultrasound until twenty weeks because insurance won't cover it, but if you'd like to pay out of pocket we can certainly do one today. There's a chance we might be able to determine whether you're having a boy or a girl" Dr. Abbott explained.

Finn looked at me with bright, hopeful eyes as if he was asking for permission, and I could tell he really wanted to see our baby today.

"Can we, Love? I'm more than happy to pay for the ultrasound - I'd just love to see our little one" he pleaded.

I just shook my head and chuckled at his enthusiasm. "Of course" I agreed.

"Alright, then I'll go get the ultrasound machine and I'll be right back" Dr. Abbott said before walking out of the room.

As soon as the door had closed behind her, Finn turned to me again.

"Can we find out what we're having, Rory?" he asked excitedly.

Honestly, I wasn't sure that I wanted to know, but he was so excited and had his heart set on it, and I couldn't deny him. "Sure, we can try to find out" I replied with a smile.

Dr. Abbott walked back in the room a minute later and had me lay down and unbutton my jeans and pull my shirt up. It was odd, because Finn and I have slept together, but I couldn't help but be a bit self conscious about him seeing me.

She spread the gel on my stomach and moved the ultrasound wand around until she found our little one. I gasped as I saw our baby - it looked so much more like a baby than the last time I saw it. I could see arms and legs and a head, and it was moving around inside me.

I looked over at Finn and could see the wonder in his eyes. I couldn't help but smile at his reaction. He couldn't take his eyes off of the screen, but I felt his hand creep into mine. "I can't believe we made that" he whispered, the smile on his face was contagious.

He remembered about the gender and looked to the doctor hopefully. "So do we know if it's a boy or girl?" He asked her impatiently. Dr. Abbot laughed and moved the wand around, trying to find the shot she needed to confirm, but what she found instead left a puzzled look on her face that I noticed right away.

"Is everything okay?" I asked her after a minute of watching the furrowed expression take over her face.

"Well, it's certainly a good thing you had us take a look and check on things today…" she trailed off.

Finn looked up immediately, concern written all over his face. "What? Why's that? What's wrong?" He asked quickly.

"Oh, nothing's really wrong, per se… but it seems as though your baby is already quite the trickster…" she said.

Finn groaned. "Great, it's already just like me" he teased.

"Trickster how, exactly?" I asked.

"Well, it seems as though he or she was hiding something very important from us last time" she said, still not answering the question, but continued looking, as if she were incredibly distracted.

"Hiding something important, what do you mean?" Finn asked, his patience wearing thin.

"It's twins!" she said happily, getting them both onto the screen at once.

Finn and I just gasped and looked at each other in shock.

"BUT I can tell you the gender of one of them, but the other isn't cooperating" she said.

"I - uh - I wasn't prepared for this…" I whispered nervously.

"I - wasn't either…. You gotta keep throwing me these curve balls, huh, Love?" he chuckled, trying to make a joke, but he was nervous also.

"I think I want to wait…. I need to wrap my head around this, I think I want to wait until we can know both genders to find out" I decided and Finn nodded in a dazed agreement.

"I think I've had enough to handle in one day" he teased.

A few more moments passed, and she got some great pictures, but no matter what she did, the other baby just would not cooperate.

"Maybe next time. It's always iffy right at the fourteen week mark anyway, but since we weren't able to see this time, we'll bring you back for one more 3D ultrasound at any point in the pregnancy, free of charge" she said, grabbing some paper towels and wiping the gel off of my stomach.

"Wow, so, uh, thank you for trying, Dr. Abbott… I was on the fence anyway about learning the gender - or I guess genders, but seeing how excited about it Finn was, I was sort of looking forward to finding out, also. Hopefully both of our little ones will cooperate next time" I said.

He smiled again, realizing the only reason I agreed was for him. "Thank you" he said, and then turned away from me to Dr. Abbott to shake her hand. "This has been - very amazingly unexpected - but it was nice to meet you, and I'll see you next time" he said, still as if he were walking around in a daze, and then he led me out of the room.


	26. Chapter 26

Finn's POV

The car ride was mostly silent, I don't think either of us knew what to say of the situation we were just dealt, and so we kept to ourselves - processing quietly, inwardly panicking - neither of us wanted to freak the other out, but I finally broke the silence.

"So, Love, what sounds good for dinner to you and our little... ones?" I asked Rory after quite some time.

"Hmm...I don't know…. Burgers? Italian? Chinese?" she asked, and I chuckled as her indecisiveness.

"All of them? "I teased.

She wrinkled her nose adorably and rolled her eyes at me.

"No, not all of them. Any of them sound good to me, though, so surprise me" she said.

I thought for a moment and steered the car toward a nearby Chinese restaurant that I knew Rory would like. It was casual, so we could relax and be comfortable, but the food was great. We pulled up a few minutes later and I helped Rory from the car.

We walked into the restaurant and were seated immediately in a quiet booth.

"So, if I remember correctly from our Yale days, you like to order half the menu and share?" I asked her.

She looked up at me, obviously surprised.

"How do you remember that?" she asked.

"I remember more about you than you realize, Love" I confessed.

Rory gave me a smile and sat back in her seat.

"Alright then, Daddy" she teased. "You order for us then" she said as she crossed her arms over her chest and eyed me smugly.

"Challenge accepted, Miss Gilmore" I said with a smile, just as the waitress came to the table to take our orders.

"Hi, my name is Jenna, and I'll be your waitress for the day. What can I get you two?" the waitress asked.

"Hi, Jenna. I'll have a Coke, and we'll take half-decaf half-regular coffee for the lady. Then we'll split the chicken lo mein, General Tso's chicken, sweet and sour chicken, an order of potstickers, an order of crab rangoon, and four egg rolls, please" I said with a triumphant look in Rory's direction.

The waitress wrote down our orders and walked off to get our drinks, and I couldn't help but laugh at Rory's shocked expression.

"How did you remember everything I like?" she asked.

"I told you, I pay attention, Love" I assured her.

"Well, thank you. For...well, for paying attention, and for being you" she said quietly as a blush rose up her cheeks.

"Of course. And thank you, too, for being willing to find out what our little ones are, even if one of them is squirrely like their dad and wouldn't cooperate" I chuckled.

"It just seemed so important to you, and suddenly your excitement made me want to know, too."

"I appreciate you being willing to try. Perhaps next time. Do you have any preference as to whether we have boys or girls?" I asked her.

"I think I'd like for at least one to be a boy…. I mean, really, as long as they are healthy then I'll be happy, but I think a boy would be nice. I'm not really a girly-girl, and it's been a long time since we've had a boy in the Gilmore family. What do you want?" she asked me.

"I think I'd love to have one of each - a little Rory running around, and god forbid a little me" I said quietly with a distant laugh. "She'd have your blue eyes and our brown hair, and she'd be the cutest little thing ever - I'm certain she'd have everyone wrapped around her pinky" I said, smiling as I pictured our theoretical children.

"I hardly have everyone wrapped around my pinky" Rory scoffed.

"You have more people wrapped around your pinky than you realize, Kitten. It's just a good thing you use your powers for good and not for evil" I said pointedly.

Her cheeks filled with a deep blush as she looked down, and I caught a slight smile on her lips.

"What do you think our boy would look like? And act like?" she asked curiously.

"With my luck, just like me" I teased with an eye roll that caused the most beautiful laugh to come from her.

"That wouldn't be the worst thing in the world" she said, looking directly into my eyes, and then she quickly schooled her face and changed the subject. "You know, it surprises me a lot, actually, that you'd want a girl. I mean, after your - history - I would think the last thing you would want was someone as charming as you hurting your little girl" she said, changing the subject.

"Oh, that part's simple. For one thing, no one is as charming as me, therefore I could easily prepare her for the wrong type of guys" I said.

"And for two?" she asked.

"She'll be locked up til she's thirty, so by then it won't matter" I teased with a wink, causing her to laugh a deep, belly laugh.

"I see you've been thinking about this" she teased.

"It's been a bit of a newfound obsession in the last few weeks... It's such a strange feeling - and I never in my life thought it would be anything that I would ever think about - but I'm actually excited… more so than I ever expected to be" I said with a shrug.

She smiled and was about to say something when our food came, and dug in, instead.

I watched her in awe as she just ate and ate. I've never eaten with a girl who wasn't worried about staying in a size zero before, so this was brand new to me, and I liked it. This is how a woman should be, not worried about appearances, and just comfortable in her own skin. She noticed I was watching her and she blushed. "I'm sorry, I tend to eat a lot" she explained.

I chuckled and shook my head. "I remember, Love. I don't think there's a single thing wrong with it, so please, don't stop on my account" I said with a smile.

She smiled back and nodded, taking another bite.

"So are you nervous about telling your friends tonight?" She asked me.

I nodded. "A bit. Not as nervous as when I had to tell Logan, but I'll just be happy when everyone knows and we don't have to make such a heavy announcement about it anymore" I said.

She nodded, understanding what I meant. We still hadn't told Emily, or my family. Perhaps we should've told them before telling the gang, but I couldn't put them off anymore. They were all pressuring me to know what had happened to me during that time, but knowing that I had Rory by my side - even if we weren't 'together', it was still a comfort.


	27. Chapter 27

Finn's POV

We pulled up to the bar where we were meeting the rest of the old Yale gang and I could tell that Rory was nervous. She was chewing on her lower lip and her brow was furrowed.

"You okay there, Love? They're not going to bite" I reassured her.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm just nervous, I guess. I don't know how they'll take the news; they'd have every right to be upset with me" she whispered.

I reached over and laid my hand on hers, attempting to give her some comfort.

"No they wouldn't, Rory" I told her seriously. "If they're going to be upset with you, they'd need to be upset with me, too. We're both adults, and we both went into that night willingly. Everything will be okay."

"You're right. Let's just get in there and get this over with" she replied with a forced smile.

I got out of the car and walked over to open her door, giving her a brief hug when she got out of the car. "We'll get through this together, just like everything else" I whispered before I released her from my embrace.

She gave me a grateful smile and we walked into the bar together, instantly spotting the table of my friends. I put my hand on the small of her back and led her to the waiting group. They were all wrapped up in their conversations and hadn't seen us approach the table.

"Hello, Mates" I said loudly enough to get their attention.

Their eyes all snapped up to me and instantly moved to Rory. They looked at us for just a moment before the girls all began greeting Rory warmly and Robert began giving me questioning looks. I avoided his gaze and pulled Rory's seat out for her, helping her get comfortable.

"Rory, it's been a while. I didn't realize you were coming with Finn" Seth said after we'd set down.

"Well, Finn invited me along and I thought it would be nice to catch up" she answered evasively just as the waitress came to take our drink orders.

"Just a club soda for me" Rory said to the waitress quietly.

"I'll have the same" I added, and everyone's eyes were instantly on me.

"I'm sorry, did Finn just order a club soda?" Robert asked sarcastically.

"I did" I confirmed. "Seems like a good night to have a clear head; besides, I still have to drive this lovely lady home after we're finished here, and I can't take any chances with not getting her there safely."

Rory shot me a grateful look and smiled at me, and I instantly knew I'd made the right choice in refraining from drinking tonight. I had to take care of Rory and our little ones, and that was far more important than alcohol.

"Alright, we've been patient enough. Where did you disappear to?" Steph demanded.

"About that, Mates. I had gotten a bit of a shock, a wake up call, if you will, and I needed some time to process things. I didn't handle it very well and basically went into hiding until I wrapped my head around it. I apologize for scaring you all" I told them.

I swallowed hard and looked to Rory. She nodded at me and reached over and put her hand on my knee, rubbing it soothingly. I smiled at her briefly and continued.

"This conversation never gets any less awkward. Rory and I went out to dinner Labor Day weekend after she broke it off with Logan - a bit of a cheering up mission, really. I knew she was hurting and wanted to make sure she was okay. All the self-control in the world couldn't save me when she kissed me, and we now have a lifelong souvenir to remind us of that night - two, actually. Rory and I are expecting...she's pregnant, and we just found out today that it's twins... Seems as though we will be welcoming our little ones sometime in May" I finished.

I looked up and saw all of my friends looking at me in shock, even Colin, who already knew our secret.

"You and Rory are having a baby...or two babies, I guess?" Rosemary asked.

"Yes, we're pregnant. We actually just came from her appointment and dinner. We got to see the little ones today, but one wouldn't cooperate so we decided to wait to find out what we're having."

You could still hear a pin drop at that table. Colin finally jumped in and saved us from the awkward silence.

"Well, congratulations to both of you" he told us.

"Thank you, Colin" Rory said with a smile. "It's been a bit of an adjustment for sure, but I think we're both finally excited about this, even though it was quite unexpected."

"So…. I have three very important questions" Stephanie said.

"What's that?" I asked.

"One - are you two together? Two - does Logan know? And three - Colin, did you know about this!? You're acting very calm about this…" she asked, turning to her husband.

"No, we're not together, together. We're just two friends who are trying to figure all of this out together!" Rory was quick to tell her.

"And yes, I already talked to Logan - that was a hard conversation, but I had to take responsibility for what happened. He doesn't know that there are two, now, but he knows that Rory and I are pregnant together" Finn said.

"And Colin?" She asked, turning back to face him.

"I knew - well, about one of them, not that it was twins. But he swore me to secrecy, and you know I couldn't do that to him. I knew how sweet and understanding you are, and that you wouldn't be mad, since you would find out as soon as he was ready to tell you" Colin tried to sweet talk.

"Nice try, buddy boy. One of these days you'll figure it out that the confidentiality rule doesn't apply to wives" she pouted.

"Well, I'm sorry. It was my fault, not his. I really needed someone to vent to, and I wasn't ready to tell anyone else. I was bloody terrified" I promised her.

"Wow, so you actually tied down the world's most eligible bachelor with not one, but two children! How lucky are you!? So what does this mean, surely this wasn't a one-time thing, right? I mean, of course you have feelings for him & want to be together, don't you? I mean who wouldn't!?" Stephanie gushed.

Colin's head snapped up as he heard the words. "Hey!" he said in mock hurt.

"Oh you know you're the only one for me, just like Finn is the only one for Rory - right, Rory!?" She continued.

Rory stammered and couldn't form any words to confirm or deny Stephanie's allegations.

"She doesn't have feelings for me like that, so for now, we're just going to do our best at trying co-parenting. The important thing is it's not about me anymore. Or us. It's about our children, and I'm going to give them one hundred percent - even if Rory and I never have anything more than friendship" I said, trying to divert attention from Rory.

"Oh, that's ridiculous! Of course she's crazy about you! Have you ever met a girl who wasn't? Aren't you, Rory!? Come on, you two are perfect for each other, and it would make things so much easier on you when the babies come if you're with the father! Oh my gosh! I could plan your wedding!" She continued on.

"Uh - I'm - going to run to the bathroom" Rory said, abruptly standing up and rushing off.

"Ooh! I'll come with you! We have so much to talk about!" Steph exclaimed, running after her quickly to catch up.

"What the hell just happened!?" I demanded.

"Well, if I know my wife, and unfortunately I think I do... She's focusing all of her efforts into getting the two of you together…" Colin said.

"Fuck, mate, leash that woman, would ya!?" I exclaimed, suddenly panicking that Steph would ruin everything I've been working towards.


	28. Chapter 28

Finn's POV

I ran my hand through my hair out of frustration and stood up from the table quickly. The only thing that mattered was getting to Rory and making certain that she was okay. I walked over to the restroom and knocked on the door, hoping to catch Rory's attention. There was no answer for a full minute, so I finally cracked the door open just a bit.

"Rory, are you in there? Come on out, Love" I coaxed gently. I could still hear Steph babbling away in there. I finally decided that I needed to get in there so I could physically be with her. I opened the door a bit further and spoke again.

"I'm about to walk into the restroom, so any ladies might want to come out now" I warned. I counted to ten in order to give anyone who might be in there a chance to clear out and then walked in. I immediately spotted Stephanie standing outside a stall and could hear Rory crying. I walked over to Stephanie and turned her toward the door and gave her a gentle nudge to get her out of there. I needed to keep her away from Rory at all costs for the time being.

"You've done enough damage, Steph. Out," I demanded sternly.

She gave me one last look and then held up her hands in surrender and walked out the door. I sighed in relief and walked over to the only locked stall.

"Rory? It's just you and me in here now, so you can come out."

I heard the stall door unlock and I quickly opened it and walked in. My heart immediately broke when I saw her - her eyes were red and teary and she was sniffling. Before I could even think about what I was doing, I crossed the small stall and wrapped her up in my arms.

"I'm so sorry, Love" I whispered. "Please don't pay any attention to her. What you and I decide is really none of her concern, and I'll make damn sure that she never puts you in that situation again."

She looked up at me and clung to me for dear life.

"I'm sorry, Finn. I just...she was asking me all these questions, and I felt like everyone thought I was so stupid for not just jumping into a relationship with you simply because we're going to be parents. It's not that easy - we have to think about our babies, and we really don't even know one another well enough to make that kind of commitment. It's not like we can just decide it isn't working and go our separate ways; we're going to be in each other's lives forever," she sobbed.

I ran my hands through her hair and continued to hold her.

"There's nothing to apologize for, Kitten. She was out of line. Let's get out of here, okay?"

She nodded her head in agreement but didn't let go. I held her for a few more minutes and then stepped back, reaching out my hand to lead her out of the bathroom. She looked at me for a moment and then took my hand. I led her out of the bathroom and back to the table, where we grabbed her purse and said a very quick goodbye to the gang, and then left.

The gang watched after Finn and a very upset Rory as they made their quick escape.

"What the hell did you do that for, Steph?" Colin demanded, turning to her the second the others were out of earshot.

She shrugged with an innocent look on her face. "I don't know what you're talking about, Colin, I was just trying to help. You know how much he wants to be with her! I'm just mad it took me this long to figure out who "Her" was!" She defended.

"I'm pretty sure there would've been more subtle ways to go about it, though, Steph…. what if you made it worse?" Rosemary asked.

"How would that have made things worse? They're not together now, maybe this is the push they needed in the right direction" Stephanie said.

"Or you just pushed her further away than she already was from him…" Juliet offered.

"Nonsense. Finn will win her over" Stephanie said.

"I think you need to stay out of it from now on, though, Steph. She definitely didn't look like she was swooning for him or anything" Colin told her.

"So what did he say when she left the table? He came to her rescue pretty quickly" she said.

"Basically that your husband needed to keep you on a tight leash" Robert chimed with with a smile, and Steph rolled her eyes.

"So nevermind the Stephanie situation, can you believe Finn is going to be a father!? And not to one, but to _two_ children!?" Juliet exclaimed.

"It's definitely something difficult to wrap my head around, that's for sure! Who knew the first of us to have kids would be _Finn_!?" Seth exclaimed.

"I know, I thought for sure it would be these two over here" Robert teased Colin and Stephanie.

"Oh please, just because we're married doesn't mean we're ready for kids yet!" Colin said in shock.

"Especially since I'm still in the process of raising this one!" Stephanie chuckled, pointing a finger at her husband.

"Yeah, but think about it, if you wait til you're ready, you'll never do it. In omnia paratus, people. Never forget" Seth said with a laugh.

"Itching for kiddos, are we Seth?" Juliet noticed.

His face turned red and all the attention was put on Rosemary - she was the one who wouldn't commit to Seth and wanted to keep up the casual relationship. "Not my circus, not my monkeys" she said, putting her hands up in the air, dismissing herself from the conversation.

"How long are you going to let this girl give you the run around anyway, friend? It's about time you all settled down like a nice couple, isn't it? You're not getting any _younger_ , Rose" Robert teased her.

"Ha ha ha, you're just soooo funny now that you've gone and gotten yourself a girlfriend" Rose muttered, crossing her arms across her chest in a pout.

"Why yes, yes I am" he teased, taking a drink from his glass.


	29. Chapter 29

Rory's POV

Finn was so worried, I could tell he was afraid that what Stephanie had said would drive me away from him - I was his only ticket to his children right now and he wanted to make sure the ties between us were as tight as possible.

I kept trying to assure him that wouldn't make things change in our situation, but maybe there's more to his fears than he's sharing with me, I don't know.

I looked over to him, his eyes focused on the road, but catching glances he'd given me along the way. I smiled and gently rested my hand in his. Here I was the one upset, but somehow I felt like he was the one who needed the consoling.

When my hand touched his skin, he looked at me immediately and smiled slightly. "Are you sure you're okay, Love?" he asked gently.

"Yeah, I mean, other than being insanely overwhelmed by everything that's happened today, I'm okay. Are _you_? You look worse than I do" I teased him.

He chuckled lightly. "As long as you're really okay, then so am I" he promised me, turning his eyes back to the road.

Before too long, we had made our way back to my house, and I noticed my mom and Luke weren't home. "Do you want to come inside? Seems as though we've got even more to talk about these days" I asked him.

He nodded and opened his car door. "I think the more time we spend together the better right now" he agreed.

I nodded also and we walked inside.

Once settled inside with some snacks and coffee, we sat down on the couch with the TV on, but both of us were paying more attention to the conversation at hand than the screen.

"So, I've learned a lot about you in a short amount of time - in addition to all the attention I paid to you back in college - is there anything in particular you want to talk to me about, or ask me? Nothing is off limits, I'll answer whatever you throw at me" he said.

Truth is, there had been something on my mind that I've been wanting to ask him, and the more time we've spent together, the more I've wanted to know - but I wasn't sure I could just come right out and ask - at least not right off the bat anyway.

"Umm, I don't know where to start, really... I wasn't prepared to give you a pop quiz tonight" I teased him.

He laughed. "Don't think of it like that. Just think simple at first, and then if something deeper or more important comes to you, then ask whatever comes to your mind" he encouraged.

I nodded and thought for a bit. "What's your favorite holiday?" I asked, feeling silly, but not really knowing what to ask.

"Christmas. It always has been. It's the one time of year that no matter what's going on, or what we're doing, my entire family gets together and we just enjoy each other's company. We do a lot of talking, a lot of eating, a _lot_ of drinking, and we just catch up over the most incredible week of the year, in the most beautiful place on earth" he said.

"That sounds amazing… So you go home? To Australia? What about the rest of the year, do you not get the chance to connect with your family much?" I asked.

"My parents and my sister live locally, so I do seem them quite often, but I almost never see my extended family - my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins - until Christmas time. It's summer there when it's winter here. We used to stay longer when I was younger, but now that Evie and I are older, and she's got a family of her own, as I'm about to have, I suppose - it just gets harder to coordinate all of our schedules for so long - so we make Christmas week top priority - although sometimes we go for longer if we can get away longer" he answered.

"So you have a good relationship with them? Your parents and Evie? I'm assuming she's your sister, right?" I asked.

"Yeah, we have our moments, but my sister and I are very close. Our parents are to us as well, but Evie and her husband are great. They've got two kids - boys - and they're great. I love spending time with them" he said.

"That seems really nice. All I have is GiGi and April, but I'm not close to either of them. Sometimes I wish we were, but it's hard to miss something you've never had, so it's never been that big of a deal to me, I guess" I said.

"You should meet my sister and her family. They'll make you feel like you've always been around. They're very welcoming - or at least I think they would be. I've never actually brought a girl home to meet them so I'm just assuming" he chuckled.

"I guess I'll have to, since we'll have some cousins for your nephews to play with" I said with a smile.

He smiled and nodded, too. "So, what else do you have running through that beautiful mind of yours?" He asked.

"Well, I did want to ask you something, but I'm not sure exactly how to word it" I said shyly.

He looked into my eyes as if he could see right through me. "I said _anything_ , and I meant it. Just ask. No judgement, I promise" he said.

I took in a deep breath and sighed. "What Stephanie said earlier - or rather, what she was pushing for... is that what you want? For us to be together? Or were you just as shocked as I was to hear what she was saying?" I asked.

A smile slowly crept on his lips and he looked away for a minute before he looked back into my eyes. "Well, what you just asked were two different things, but I'll answer the best way I can… So yes, to answer your second question first, I was just as surprised as you were when she started shooting off all of those questions. I'm pretty sure she thinks she was just trying to help, but as you can see, she wound up causing more damage than helping. The first part of your question is a bit trickier for me to answer, but I promised you nothing was off limits and I will be honest about it, even if it's one of the hardest things I've ever had to admit" he said.

Tricky? Hardest thing to admit? Of course he doesn't want to be with me, why would I think he ever would? Finn cleared his throat and broke me from my thoughts.

"I have feelings for you, yes. But I don't want that to come in the way of us doing whatever we have to do in order to be the best possible parents that we can be for our children. Would I someday like to have a relationship with you? Absolutely - but only if it was right, and right now, things are so crazy and unpredictable - I don't want to start something and it not be what's right. It's not about me, or what I want. Or even about you, or what you want anymore…. it's about those amazing little beings inside of you who have made me wake up and realize what's important in life, and that's them. I will do anything within my power to always try to do what's best for them, even if it means making sacrifices of what I want in the process. After all, that's what being a parent is all about, isn't it?" he asked quietly.

I didn't really know what to say after that, so I just looked away from him nervously. "I told you nothing was off limits and I meant it" he reminded me and I nodded. "Anyway, it's getting late and I've still got to get back to Boston. I should probably get going" he said.

"Okay…. or you could stay…. I mean, it's a really long drive to go so late" I suggested.

"Yeah? Diner apartment?" He asked and I shook my head.

"No, you can stay here with me if you want. I trust you" I told him.

I saw a sweet smile cross his lips and he nodded. "Okay, if you're sure?" He asked.

"Yeah, come on" I said, cleaning up our mess and he followed suit before following me to my room.

I shut the door behind us and we got into bed. Lying there for a moment, I turned to him and broke the silence. "I just want you to know, that I've had a lot of the same thoughts, but I'm also hormonal and trying really hard to think with a clear head about everything. That's very important to me" I told him.

He smiled and ran his fingers through my hair playfully. "You don't have to explain yourself, Love. I'm not expecting anything. I'm just taking every day as it comes" he whispered.

I nodded and kissed him gently. "Thank you. That's exactly what I need you to do right now" I whispered, and cuddled into his arms, and fell asleep quickly. He was still in shock from the kiss. He would have believed he had imagined it if it wasn't for the burning left on his lips, causing him to fall asleep with a smile on his face.


	30. Chapter 30

Finn's POV

The light streaming through the window woke me the next morning, and I startled for a moment when I felt the weight of someone wrapped around me. I opened my eyes a bit and relaxed when I realized that it was Rory. Her head was on my chest and her arms and legs were tangled with mine, and I realized that I'd never woken up happier than I was in that moment.

I was so heart broken when I woke up the morning after we'd slept together and she was already gone, and a part of me didn't think that I would ever get the chance to wake up next to her. I took a deep breath and relished the feeling of having her in bed with me. I knew that I had things to tend to in the office today, but at the moment nothing was more important than being right here. We'd turned some kind of corner last night, and I didn't want to do anything to risk going back to the way we were before. Perhaps there was hope for something down the road, but I was just going to enjoy the ride.

I was pulled out of my thoughts as I felt Rory begin to stir in her sleep. She looked as beautiful as I'd ever seen her. Without even thinking, I kissed the top of her head.

"Good morning, Love" I whispered huskily.

She stretched and disentangled our legs. "Morning, Finn. I'll be right back" she said before hopping out of bed. I saw her walk through to the bathroom and picked up my phone and sent off a quick text to my secretary letting her know that I would be in late today before Rory got back. She walked back into the room just as I sat my phone down, and I smiled as she laid back down and snuggled into my arms again.

"Sorry about that - apparently bearing children means you have to go to the bathroom a lot more often" she explained sheepishly, and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Well, seeing as you're bearing my children, there's nothing to apologize for. Are you and our little ones hungry?" I asked her.

"Mmm...yes, but I'm not quite ready to get out of bed yet. Five more minutes?" she asked.

Truth be told, I would have laid there with her as long as she wanted.

"Of course, Kitten. You just tell me when you're ready to get up and we'll get ready for breakfast. Does Luke's sound good this morning?" I asked her.

"Sounds perfect," she answered contentedly.

We laid there in silence for a few minutes, and I couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking. I wasn't daft enough to think that we were together now, but I was still hoping that perhaps her thoughts had changed from what she'd said to her mom the other night after dinner.

She finally sat up and stretched some more before getting out of bed, and I followed her slowly.

"You know, you almost need to start keeping a change of clothes here" she teased. "This is twice in the last couple of weeks that you've unexpectedly spent the night and not had fresh clothes."

"You have a point there. Perhaps I need to start keeping some in my car when I'm visiting just in case you rope me into staying" I joked back.

She shook her head and laughed at me. "I don't recall having to twist your arm to get you to stay" she said pointedly.

I just held up my hands in surrender. "No, I was quite grateful for the invitation. I didn't particularly want to drive back to Boston that late, and the company was fantastic" I replied with a wink.

"Such a charmer - I hope if we have a son he doesn't get that from you" Rory smirked. "Now, I'm going to change clothes. I kept the toothbrush you used the last time you stayed in the drawer in the bathroom if you'd like to freshen up."

I nodded and walked out of her bedroom, closing the door behind me so that she could change in privacy. I washed my face and brushed my teeth and walked back in the living room to slip my shoes on just before she came out of her room. She walked over and handed me my phone and wallet sheepishly.

"Sorry, I wasn't try to look at it or anything - I just thought I'd bring it to you" she stammered. "Some people are super private about their phone, and I didn't know how you felt."

I laughed and took them from her hands.

"You don't need to apologize, Rory. I'm an open book; I wouldn't care if you were looking through my phone, although I trust you enough to know that you wouldn't do that. The most exciting things you'd see on my phone these days are details of business deals and meetings and texts from my baby mama" he teased.

"Tell me you didn't just go there!" she huffed in mock outrage.

I chuckled and pulled her into a hug. "You're not just my baby mama, Ror - you know better than to think that" I reassured her.

She rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"Hmmm...I may know that, but I still think you need to treat me to breakfast to make up for it" she said.

"Alright, let's get to it then" I agreed.

We walked out of the house and chatted about light topics all the way to Luke's. I was grateful that things between us weren't as tense as they had been prior to last night. Truthfully, Steph may have helped a little, but I'd never admit that to her - she would become unbearable.

I opened the door to the diner for her and we walked in together and sat at the same table we'd had breakfast at the last time I was there. Luke looked over at us, obviously surprised to see me in Stars Hollow early on a Tuesday morning, and came over to the table.

"Good morning, guys. I thought that was your car that I saw in the driveway when we came home last night, but I didn't realize you were staying until it was still there this morning" Luke stammered awkwardly.

I looked to Rory for help and she jumped in to rescue me.

"Actually, we were up late last night talking about everything and I didn't want him to drive home so late so I asked him to stay" Rory stated firmly.

Luke looked at us both for a minute and then took out his pad and pencil. "So, what can I get for you guys?" he asked.

"I'll have pancakes with strawberries and some bacon and eggs, and a cup of half-caf coffee," Rory ordered.

"I'll just take an omelette with ham and veggies and regular coffee" I added quickly.

Luke walked away and turned in our orders, leaving us to talk a bit more.

"So, anything big going on in Boston this week?" Rory asked me.

"No, not much, really. I need to talk with my family and let them know that we're expecting; I'd been putting it off until after the appointment. Other than that, it's just work" I replied.

Rory looked up at me for a moment, seemingly battling with herself over something. Finally she took a breath and began talking.

"You know, I could drive to Boston and be there when you tell them if you'd like me to. I mean, don't feel like you have to say yes, because it's your family, but I just wanted to throw that out there. You've been so great to me, and I can't imagine doing this with anyone else, and I just...I want you to know that I'm there for you, too, Finn" she rambled. She was just opening her mouth to continue when I took her hand in mine and smiled at her.

"Take a breath there, Love. I appreciate you offering very much, and I would like that, actually. They're going to want to meet you. I can see when they're available this week and then let you know?" I asked.

She smiled and nodded at me.

"That's perfect. I'm really free this week, so just let me know what works for you guys" she said just as Luke walked over with our food.

We continued talking about our week and upcoming plans while we ate breakfast, and before I knew it, I really needed to leave for Boston. We walked back to Rory's childhood home in a comfortable silence, just content to have spent the morning together. When we arrived at my car she looked at me for a moment and then hugged me fiercely. I wrapped my arms around her.

"You alright there, Love?" I chuckled.

She blushed and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm good. I just...I really enjoy having you around. I miss you when you're in Boston" she whispered.

I smiled and kissed the top of her head.

"I miss you when I'm in Boston, too, Rory. I'll see you in a few days, okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'll see you in a few days" she confirmed with a smile.


	31. Chapter 31

Rory's POV

I took a deep breath as I took off in the car that Finn sent for me. He didn't want me to drive all that way myself, and so he sent a car service to come and pick me up. After I'd been in the car a while, I finally relaxed a bit into the seat, and just looked out the window, watching the scenery change before me rapidly, and I couldn't help but think what would happen when I got to Boston. I was meeting Finn's parents today, and his sister. The three most important people to him, and I was going to be sitting around a table with them as Finn broke the news - they would be grandparents, and an aunt - but it would be with a stranger that they were meeting for the first time. I couldn't help but worry that maybe they wouldn't be okay with the situation - I mean, it was such a shock in itself, but with so many variables, I hoped we didn't cause them all to have heart attacks right there. I took another deep breath and sighed deeply. I was dreading this, but I knew it had to be done. "SHIT!" I thought, "SHIT SHIT SHIT - I still haven't told Emily! Grandma would kill me if she knew that she was the last to find out, and it's not that I was intentionally waiting to tell her - I've just had so much on my mind that I completely forgot. She'd kill me even more if she found out I forgot about her! I made a mental note to go visit her next weekend - hoping it wouldn't be too late and that she wouldn't find out from someone else.

I was just a ball of nerves. Not only was I dealing with the upcoming dinner tonight and dreading telling Emily, I was also going to be spending the weekend in Boston with Finn. It will be my first time seeing his place, and I was hoping it wouldn't be too awkward staying there. He and I have been getting along really well, we talk all the time, but I couldn't help but still be nervous because of doing something like staying with him for a change, was a new and scary experience for me. Too late to turn back now, just have to wait and see what happens at this point…

Finn's POV

I was more nervous than I'd been in quite some time. I took off work at noon today so that I could finish making preparations for Rory's arrival. She should be here around three o'clock, which would give her time to rest before dinner with my family. I'd warned them all that I was bringing someone who was important to me and that they needed to be on their best behavior. They were generally quite easygoing and welcoming, but I couldn't help but be concerned - this wasn't the kind of news I'd ever delivered before. I could deal with their reactions, even if they were less-than-stellar, but I desperately wanted to protect Rory from any potential issues.

I was running from room-to-room, trying to make sure that the house looked tidy and respectable and didn't scream bachelor pad. I knew that Rory wouldn't care if things weren't perfect, but that didn't stop me from wanting to make things go smoothly. We'd been getting along so well lately, and I didn't want anything to change that. At the very least, I felt confident that we could raise our children together at this point, regardless of whether or not there was more between us down the road.

I checked the bathroom and guest bedroom again, making sure that they were tidy and ready for Rory's arrival, and then moved to the kitchen. I'd stocked up on coffee, both decaf and regular, and some of the foods that she'd been craving lately. My phone buzzed in my pocket and I took it out to read my new text. Rory was an hour away still. Desperate to pass the time, I walked into my study and scrolled through work emails. I spent some time checking over our daily reports and handling any issues that had cropped up since I left work today. We had been working on closing several large deals, and the new developments in those negotiations kept me busy until just before Rory should be arriving.

A few minutes before three o'clock, I walked out of my office and took one more look around. The apartment looked like a respectable thirty-something year old man lived here rather than an eternal bachelor, so I was pleased. I ran my hands through my hair and took a deep breath. Ready or not, she should be here any minute. I made a quick decision to meet her when she arrived and took the elevator down to the lobby.

Just a few minutes after I stepped outside, the car I'd hired pulled up. I walked over to the curb and opened the back door, and my heart melted. She'd fallen asleep and looked so peaceful. I got inside the car and ran my hands through her hair to wake up.

"Hey, Love. You're here in Boston. It's time to wake up," I whispered softly. She began to stir and stretch a bit.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah," she replied quietly. "Sorry, I guess I fell asleep."

"No need to apologize - I hear growing little humans is hard work," I chuckled.

Rory wrinkled up her nose and rolled her eyes.

"You have no idea. I can't even imagine what it will be like in four or five months. I'll be the size of a house and will waddle everywhere," she replied.

"And you'll still be breathtaking. Now, let's get you inside. I'm sure you'd like to freshen up and relax a bit before we meet my family."

I helped her from the car and took her bag from the driver before leading her into my apartment building.

"This is a beautiful building," she whispered when we walked into the lobby. "I love the architecture."

"That's actually what sold me on this location, Kitten. I love the lines and the warm feel - I thought it was the perfect place to live. Are you hungry? I got some snacks that I thought you'd like," I offered.

"Aw, Finn - you do know the way to my heart!" she fake swooned, and any nerves I had about spending the weekend together were instantly gone. It was just Rory and Finn, regardless of the complications or imminent meeting with my family, and we were going to be okay.


	32. Chapter 32

Rory's POV

Finn unlocked the main door to his apartment and ushered me inside, with his hand guiding me by my lower back.

I looked around in awe. This place was amazing. It was modern, yet homey, and very well decorated. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Do a little Queer Eye on the side?" I teased.

He laughed. "No, I can't take credit for the way this place looks. That was all Evie. It's what she does, she's an interior designer, and she wouldn't take no for an answer. But I think she did a pretty good job - I definitely don't hate the way it looks" he said with a shrug.

I smiled and looked around some more, taking it all in. "I like it. She did good" I said approvingly. I laughed to myself when I heard him release a sigh of relief.

"Here, let me show you your room" he said, taking my hand absent-mindedly, leading me out of the living room area. We came to a door he had opened, and it was another very modernly decorated room, although done differently. It was made up of slightly more cool colors - grays and aquas - and it seemed very tranquil. The bedding looked comfortable and inviting, the curtains coordinated perfectly, and it was a room you just instantly fall in love with - it was luxurious.

He led me in further, showing me that I had my own private bathroom fully stocked with towels and anything I could possibly need.

"This is - _beautiful_ , Finn... I can't believe you live here" I whispered.

He laughed and sat my bag down on the bench in front of the bed. "Well, Love, do you want to rest or would you like to see the rest of the tour?" He asked, the fact that he was pleased to have me here was written all over his face.

"Show me the rest of the tour!" I said excitedly. He smiled and led me out, taking me to the room beside that.

"This is my office. I work from home a lot, so I spend a lot of time in here. It's nothing too special, but I like it, and the desk chair is comfortable" he said with a laugh.

"Well that's very important" I said with a laugh.

"And this is my room" he said, leading me out again, and into the last room with the door closed.

"It's very nice" I said, suddenly feeling awkward. I knew I shouldn't - but something about seeing his bed reminded me of how many girls he would always run around with before all of this, and it turned my stomach a little. I wasn't really sure why, since we weren't together, but I guess just knowing that my kids would have to come here and it was all suddenly a lot to take in.

"Are you alright, Love? You look pale" he said, noticing the drastic change in my behavior.

"Uh, I'm fine. I guess I do need a rest. Maybe on the couch?" I asked him, and he quickly obliged.

We sat down together on the couch and he turned to face me. "I don't mean to be pushy, but it seems like something about being in my bedroom bothered you?" Finn asked.

I sighed and took a deep breath. If we wanted to have any hope of continuing to get closer, I needed to be honest with him.

"It's really not my place or anything, but it just...seeing your bed made me think of all the women you've been with and that made me think about them being here in your house and it just…" I trailed off.

Finn ran his hands over his face before answering.

"I'm sorry that even has to be something that you think about, Kitten. I've promised you to always be honest with you, and that's not going to change. You need to know that you are the first woman who isn't related to me that I've brought to my apartment. I'm not proud of my past and the way I went from woman-to-woman before, but the good news is that my theories on not getting attached meant not bringing anyone home" he assured me. I nodded and looked down, but he put his finger under my chin and tilted my face up to make eye contact. "I also need you to understand that there hasn't been anyone since I found out you were pregnant, Rory."

I gave a small smile and nodded again.

"Thanks, Finn. I know that it's not really any of my business" I said quietly.

"No, it is your business. We're having two babies soon, and we need to set some ground rules or expectations so we feel comfortable. I will never bring another woman home, regardless of whether or not the kids are with me, and I won't let another woman meet our kids unless you and I have discussed it. Honestly, I have no plans of dating anyone, but I'll still make that promise," Finn told me.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, and relaxed in my spot on the couch.

"Thank you, Finn. I really appreciate that...it makes me feel better. I don't have any intentions of dating anyone either, but I can make you those same promises."

"You want to watch some TV? Take our minds off of things for an hour or so until it's time to get ready to leave?" He asked.

I nodded graciously, and he flipped on the TV. Flipping through channels, he finally landed on a TV show that we both liked, and he sat the remote down and we just relaxed. "Can I get you anything? A coffee or anything?" He asked.

"Is it too much trouble?" I asked. He just laughed and stood up from the couch.

"You're cute" he said, walking towards the kitchen.

I blushed slightly and let him follow through with my coffee order and he came back a few minutes later, sitting down with a coffee and some chocolate chip cookies.

My eyes grew wide with excitement as I took a bite. "These are amazing! Where did you get these!?" I exclaimed.

He shrugged. "I made them" he said simply.

"You just keep surprising me" I said with a laugh.

"Good" he said with a smirk and put his arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer in beside him. I breathed him in deep, and just laid my head onto his shoulder contentedly.


	33. Chapter 33

Finn's POV

Rory seemed to be a ball of nerves as we walked out to the car to leave for dinner. I stopped her and wrapped her in my arms, hugging her tightly until I could feel her relax.

"Take a deep breath, Love. They're going to love you" I reassured her.

"I hope you're right. Thank you for trying to keep me calm; I know you must be freaking out about telling your family too, but you're still taking care of me" Rory replied quietly. I took her hand and led her out to my car, helping her into the passenger seat, and then walked over to the driver's side and sat down.

"I won't lie - it's a little nerve-wracking - but I think they'll be excited for us. That reminds me, what did your mom and Luke say when you told them that we're having twins?" I asked as I pulled out of the parking garage and onto the street.

She looked over at me and laughed.

"Mom was so excited. She insisted on saying everything twice for a good ten minutes - I thought Luke was going to kill her" Rory chuckled. "She kept going on and on about how excited she was to have two grandbabies to spoil."

"And your dad? Have you told him yet?" I asked.

"Actually, he does know about the pregnancy, but I haven't told him we're having twins yet. He's here in Boston so I thought I might go see him tomorrow and tell him in person?" she asked.

"Of course, Kitten. I'll go with you if that's okay - I would like to meet him."

Rory's face lit up and she smiled broadly. "That would be perfect. He and I haven't always been close, but these last few years it's gotten better. He's been fantastic since I found out I was pregnant," Rory agreed.

We pulled up in front of Rino's Place and I helped Rory out of the car.

"This place is fantastic, Love. It was on that Guy Fieri show - Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives - and they have the best homemade pasta. I think you'll love it" I assured her as I led her in the door. I spotted Mum and Dad at a table in the back and waved to them as we made our way over. I didn't miss the look on their faces. I'd never brought a girl to meet them before, and their surprise showed. They stood as we reached the table and I hugged them both before making introductions.

"Mum and Dad, I'd like you to meet Lorelai Gilmore, although she goes by Rory. And Rory, these are my parents: my father, Finnick Morgan, and my beautiful mum, Anita" Finn introduced.

"It's very nice to meet you, Rory. Please, call me Annie" mum greeted her warmly, taking her hand and smiling. She had no idea what was about to come from this meeting, but she was floored that it appeared I might be settling down - ecstatic couldn't begin to describe the look on her face.

"Yes, very nice, dear! And please, call me Nick. None of these formalities" dad said, taking her hand in his as soon as mum had let go.

Rory smiled widely, happy things seemed to start smoothly, and made small talk with ease.

"Mum, have you heard from Evie and Patrick? They're still planning on coming?" I asked.

"Yes, of course. They just got caught up in a little bit of traffic, but they're on their way. Should be anytime now" she said.

He nodded. "You look nervous, son. Is everything alright?" Dad asked me. "Uh, yeah, just new to this whole introducing thing" I said, trying to act as if that was all. I didn't want to give too much away until we were ready to make our announcement.

"So Rory, tell me about yourself! Finn tells me you're also a Yale graduate…?" Mum trailed off and Evie swept into the room.

"I'm so sorry we're late, everyone! Traffic was a nightmare. Thank goodness Patrick was driving or I don't think we would have made it out alive!" She said dramatically.

Everyone laughed and she hugged her family. "Eve, there's someone I'd like for you to meet. This is Rory Gilmore, and she is my date for the evening" I introduced.

Evie turned to Rory in surprise. "A date for the evening? Well, I didn't think you had it in you, big brother! We finally get to meet someone? You've always been so elusive before" she teased.

"Girlfriend?" Patrick asked, hugging me.

"Nah, we're just really good friends. She's too smart to date a guy like me, eh Love?" I asked her with a wink.

She blushed, but then smiled in response.

"Uncle Finn!" two little rugrats exclaimed, running up and hugging me. My nephews were physically attached to me no sooner than I could bend down for hugs.

"Rory, these two little ankle biters are my favorite little people in the whole wide world - so far. These are my nephews, Nicholas and Andrew" I introduced to her proudly. I could see the wonder and joy on her face as she watched me interact with these two knuckleheads. It was a side of me she had never seen before.

"Well, now that we're all here, why don't we all get settled and order a round of drinks?" Nick suggested, motioning for the waiter to come to our table. "What do we say? Start off with a round of champagne for everyone? It's not everyday that Finn feels the need to introduce us to a special woman in his life, so I feel like this might just call for a celebration of sorts. What do you say?" He asked around the table.

"Uh, not everyone here can drink champagne, Dad" I pointed out.

"Well of course we'll get something non-alcoholic for the little buggers" he said, ruffling Liam's hair.

"Uh, no Dad, I didn't just mean Nicky and Andy…" I said, turning to Rory to make sure she was ready and she shrugged. We weren't really planning to jump right in, but now was the perfect opening. "Rory shouldn't have any either, Dad. You see, I'm going to be a father… because Rory is pregnant - with twins - and they're mine…" I announced.

The table was silent, everyone exchanging glances. No one wanted to be the first to speak up, meanwhile the waiter was still standing beside the table, waiting for our drink order confirmation. "Uh, two bottles of champagne, and a bottle of sparkling cider - eight glasses, please" he continued after clearing his throat, and signaled him to leave the table.

Mum turned to me, pleading with her eyes. I thought for sure she looked disappointed in me, but then she smiled. "You're going to be a father?" She whispered, happily.

I couldn't help but smile back and nod.

"But you're not - _together_?" Evie asked, looking directly to Rory questioningly.

"No. We're not _together_. But we're doing this together. I'm all in" I promised, looking to Rory and taking her hand in mine. She looked up at me and smiled.

"So how far along are you?" Evie asked.

"I will be fifteen weeks tomorrow" Rory answered.

"And so I'm assuming you only just told Finn since he's only just telling us?" She asked, somewhat harshly.

"Uh, well, no…" she started.

"I've known over a month" I admitted to them.

"Over a month!? And you're just now telling us!?" Mum asked.

"I know. I'm so sorry, Mum. It's just, it took me a long time to process things. I wasn't exactly the easiest person to get to accept reality and come to terms with what was happening. I found out right after I came back from London" I said.

"I need to go to the bathroom" Rory whispered to me.

"Do you know where it is, Kitten?" I asked.

"I saw it on the way in. Excuse me" she said to the table as she stood up and walked away.

"You're not together, we haven't heard anything about this girl, and suddenly she's pregnant with twins? How do you know they're even yours, Finn!? You need a DNA test before you do something stupid!" Evie exclaimed.

"They're mine, Evie. I know they are. I trust her" I promised.

"Well, she does have a point, Finn. I mean, how _do_ you know for sure?" Dad asked.

"I've known Rory for years and years. She was Logan's girl in college, and they ended their relationship after he proposed. That was over ten years ago now. They had been seeing each other for a little while, while he was in London, but she broke things off with him when she found out he was engaged to Odette. He called me and told me what happened, and I called her and took her out. Things got a little out of control, and we ended up sleeping together that night, but that was the only time. She hadn't been with Logan since way before that, and she was with him one time after, about a month later, and she did think they were his - or it. At the time she didn't know there were two. But the date she gave didn't match the date the doctor said. They're mine" I said.

"That doesn't mean she wasn't with anyone else, though…" Patrick pointed out.

"Her word means that, though. Like I said, I trust her. And you know how cautious I am - I don't just claim any pregnancy scare as my own, you know that. It's happened before, and they've all been proven wrong. I followed all the procedures to make sure I knew for sure whether or not those claims were true or not. But with Rory, I don't have to follow any procedures. There is no protocol. When you get the girl you love pregnant, you just step up and be there for her, no questions asked" I said.

"Wait, wait, wait…. The girl you love? You love her?" Evie asked.

"Yes. One hundred percent" I promised her.

"For how long?" Mum asked.

"I don't really know. As long as I can remember? I drank a lot, so my sense of time doesn't really come together" I reminded her with a chuckle.

"And does she know?" Dad asked.

"That I love her? Nah, I mean, she knows I have feelings for her, but I've told her that acting on that could hurt our chances of raising these babies together, and I won't let anything ruin that. That is my top priority" I admitted.

"I think you need to tell her, Finn. What if you two could be together? Get married? Raise your babies together that way instead? Does she feel the same way?" Mum asked.

"I don't know. She mentioned something about how she's thought about it, but that she doesn't want her hormones clouding her judgement. She doesn't want to rush into anything, just like I don't" I said.

"Well, we won't push you, but we are proud of you, son. You're doing the right thing, and taking responsibility. I couldn't be happier or more proud of you" Dad said, patting me on the back.

"And I get two more grand babies! I can't tell you how happy you've made me, Finn! I just hope one day you two can come together and she will return your feelings. I know you don't allow yourself to fall for just anyone, so I know this girl has to be incredibly special" Mum said, giving me a hug.

"She really, really is, Mum. I've never met anyone like her before" I said with a smile, watching her from across the room as she makes her way back to the table.

"I just hope she doesn't break your heart, Big Brother" Evie said, looking at me, almost sympathetically, and I couldn't help but chuckle.


	34. Chapter 34

Rory's POV

"Alright, Love, I think you have everything you need, right? I'll just be down the hall if you need anything, though" Finn reassured me as he walked me to the guest bedroom. I chuckled to myself - such a gentleman that he would walk me to the bedroom door.

"Yeah, I think I'm good. Thank you for taking such great care of me, and for inviting me to spend the weekend. Your family is so nice" I replied. "So I'll see you in the morning?"

"Of course you will. Sleep well, Rory" Finn whispered. I hugged him tightly and just stood there in his arms for a minute. Somehow, it had become something that I really looked forward to.

"Sleep well" I whispered in return. I stepped back and he kissed my forehead and walked down the hall to his bedroom. I walked into the beautiful guest room and shut the door behind me. I was exhausted from the long day and all of the emotions that I'd been experiencing all day, from excitement to nervousness to relief. I got ready for bed quickly and fell into the soft, fluffy covers with a sigh.

I expected to fall right asleep, but I couldn't help but think about the fact that Finn was so close to me. That night he'd spent with me in Stars Hollow was the best sleep I'd had in months. As I laid there alone, I thought about how peaceful and content I felt in his arms. I tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable for quite some time, before finally giving up. I thought through my options - I could stay here and I'd fall asleep eventually, or I could walk down the hall to Finn's room and ask him if I could sleep in his bed. Even before I'd made my decision, I was up on my feet and walking down the hall toward the master bedroom.

I walked up to his door and listened for a minute to make sure I wasn't interrupting anything, but it was quiet. I took a deep breath and raised my hand and knocked gently.

"Finn?" I called quietly. Just a moment later, his door opened and I gulped as I saw him standing there in nothing but a pair of boxers.

"Are you okay?" he asked, obviously concerned. I nodded and tried not to blush.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just…" I hesitated and looked down, suddenly embarrassed.

"You were just what, Love?"

"I was laying there in bed, but were so close, and I...I wanted to know if it was okay for me to sleep in here with you?" I asked quietly. "I mean, if you don't mind. I know you don't let women in your bed" I quickly added.

Finn laughed and took my hand, leading me to his bed.

"You're always welcome in my bed, Kitten, so quit being so shy. I'll just go put on some pajama pants or something" he offered.

"No, you're fine. I'm invading your space - you can sleep in whatever you're comfortable in" I replied quickly.

"Alright, if you're sure." Finn got into his side of the bed and pulled the covers back for me. I slid into the other side of his bed and instantly felt at home.

"Night, Rory" Finn said quietly before turning out the lights. I scooted across the bed and laid my head on his chest, and his arms immediately wrapped around me.

"Night, Finn" I whispered.

Finn's POV

The next day I had managed to convince Rory to let me take her shopping for some maternity clothes. I knew she hated having anyone buy things for her, but I was hoping she would make the exception since it's pregnancy related and not directly for her...in a weird way.

We walked in and out of countless stores - she tried everything on, and some were just laughably hideous, and we mocked them together. I was happy that she was having such a fun time, and was comfortable enough with me to let me see her dressed in all sorts of crazy, funny outfits. We were having a blast.

Some of the outfits looked really good on her, also, and you could see the bump starting to form. I've always had a 'type' of girl I liked. Thin, tan, redhead of course, and dumb as a box of rocks. Rory was definitely in the thin category, but that was where the similarities stopped with her. She was smart, and funny, and a natural beautiful - not some fake and bake Barbie who put more money into her appearance than her education.

But something about seeing her belly growing, knowing that it was because of my children growing inside of her, made her even more beautiful than any woman I had ever seen in my life. I loved this woman on so many more levels than I even knew existed, let alone knew I was capable of. I was the luckiest man in the world - and she still wasn't even mine.

"What do you think?" she asked, coming out in a dress that came to her knees, with a flattering cut and feminine pattern. She spun around as I looked up, causing me to smile.

"I think that's my favorite so far" I said, my eyes lighting up.

"Really!? Mine too! I love it! And it's got such a pretty, flowy skirt!" she said. I just laughed and shrugged. I didn't know the first thing about women's fashion, but I knew damn well what she looked hot in, and this was definitely a winner in my book.

"You have to get that one, for sure" I told her, and she just nodded with a smile, before turning back to the dressing room to try on something else.

I got a text message, and looked down at my phone. Evie's name was on the screen. "Finn, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings last night - I didn't mean to insinuate that Rory would lie about them being yours, I just want to protect you from getting hurt. I really like her, and I couldn't be happier to be an aunt. I never thought this day would come!"

I laughed lightly to myself. "It's all okay, baby sister. I appreciate you looking out for me, but you are definitely going to be an aunt. I never thought I would be a father, but here I am out shopping with Rory for maternity clothes and enjoying myself. I guess it was time for a change."

"It's going to take some time to get used to this, but I'm really happy for you, and I'm really proud of you, too. I love you, Finn."

"I love you, too, Evie" I replied, turning my attention back to Rory when she came out again.


	35. Chapter 35

Rory's POV

Finn pulled the car up to Abe & Louie's, an upscale steak house I'd heard about and wanted to try.

"Is your dad a big steak fan?" Finn asked. I shrugged with a laugh.

"I don't know, we don't eat together all that often, but unless that's just yet another quirk I inherited from my mom, I would say there's a good chance" I teased.

He laughed and we got out of the car, and headed inside. "Are you nervous?" I asked, turning around and seeing the look on his face.

"Uh, yeah, you could say that. I'm not usually a 'meet the parents' type guy, and now I have to meet the dad of the woman I got pregnant after a one-night-stand…. it's a bit much, but I'm okay" he said with a laugh. I took his hand and rubbed his arm reassuringly.

"You have nothing to worry about. I love my dad, but his opinion of you isn't what matters to me" I promised him. He nodded, although he didn't seem like he had calmed down much.

We walked inside and gave our name, and we were lead to our table. "Mr. Hayden isn't here yet, but we'll seat him as soon as he arrives" the hostess assured us.

Finn held the chair out for me, and helped me scoot in towards the table, before sitting down beside me. "Thanks" I said sweetly, taking a sip of the water in front of my place setting.

"Hey, Kiddo, I'm sorry I'm late. I just came from the office" dad's voice said, swooping down to kiss me on the cheek before he turned to look at Finn.

"I'm Finn Morgan, nice to meet you, Mr. Hayden" he said, shaking hands with my dad.

"Nice to - uh - meet you too, Finn. Please, call me Christopher" dad insisted, sitting down in his seat, realizing Finn had no idea who he was.

"You were at the office? Dad, it's Saturday!" I said, disappointed he worked so much.

"I know, I know, but they needed me for a few hours this morning. No big deal. I've got the rest of the afternoon off, so I'm happy" he said.

"Just don't work yourself too hard. You're not Grandpa Strobe" I reminded him.

"Yes, dear" he teased with a wink. "So enough about work. What brings you to Boston this weekend?"

"Well, Finn and I had dinner with his parents last night to break the news of the pregnancy to them, and so I decided we should have lunch with you today" I said with a shrug.

"But I already know you're pregnant, kiddo" he teased, "congratulations, I think - or I hope - I don't know, this is a bit hard for me. My little girl having a baby" he said to Finn, who nodded understandably.

"I know you already know I'm pregnant, dad, but there is something more I need to tell you… we just found out on Monday that it's twins, and so I wanted to tell you in person. Besides, I thought it would be a good opportunity for you to get the chance to meet Finn" I said.

"Uh huh…" not sure if he should tell them they'd already met a couple weeks ago in the bar. "Twins, huh? Wow, kid, that's a lot of responsibility on your hands"

I nodded in agreement. "I know, dad, but Finn has been so amazing in the last two weeks. He's really been there for me, and I feel like no matter how crazy hard this all seems like it would be, I'm not all that worried because he's been so amazing through it all. Not to mention we'll have my mom and Luke and so many other people who care about these babies who would be willing to help. Besides, you raised GiGi by yourself, I think we can handle two together" I said with a smile.

"Well, I'll be around to help you, too, you know. I love you, kid" dad said reassuringly, and then excused himself to the bathroom.

I looked over at Finn for the first time in a while. He was staring intently after my dad as he walked away, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"What are you doing? Are you checking out my dad?" I teased him.

He laughed. "No, Love, but by god he looks so bloody familiar to me, I just can't seem to place it" he said.

"Well, you do both live in Boston, I'm sure you've just seen each other somewhere or something" I offered.

"No, like, I feel like I've had a conversation with him, actually talked to him, but I can't remember what about or when it was. But it's driving me mad and I have no idea how to fix it" he said.

"You could ask him if he recognizes you from anywhere" I suggested.

"No, I'm doing good that the bloke isn't killing me for knocking up his daughter - I sure as hell don't want to push my luck" he said with a laugh.

Dad walked back to the table just as the waitresses arrived to take our orders, and the moment she walked off, Finn was back to staring at him awkwardly. I could practically see the wheels turning in his head, and suddenly he gasped and his jaw dropped.

"You and I didn't happen to meet in a bar a couple of weeks ago, did we, Mate?" Finn asked my dad. Dad coughed and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"You have a good memory, even when you're drunk" Dad chuckled as he blushed. That wasn't like my dad, and I instantly wanted to know what was going on.

"I feel like someone has some explaining to do here, and I'm not sure which one of you it is" I said as I eyed them both.

Finn and Dad shared a look and Dad finally shrugged.

"I went out for a drink after work a couple of weeks ago and ran into Finn. He and I had a little chat" Dad answered evasively.

I sighed and dropped my head into my hands.

"Please tell me you didn't threaten him? Is that why you've been so amazing these last two weeks, Finn?" I asked. I wasn't sure I really wanted to know the answer. We seemed to be making such great progress.

Finn cleared his throat and reached over and took my hand. "It is, Love, but not for the reason that you think. Your dad didn't threaten me or force me into being here for you and our little ones. He just told me about his regrets from your childhood, and he encouraged me to put everything into what was important to me, and that's what I've done. You and these babies are the most important things in my life, and he helped me see that" Finn reassured me.

I looked back and forth between them and settled my gaze on my dad.

"Is that right, Dad?" I asked him. He nodded sheepishly.

"It is. I promise that I didn't force him to step up or anything; I just helped him rethink his priorities" Dad insisted.

"I'm not sure I like you two being in cahoots, but I'm going to trust you here" I finally relented.


	36. Chapter 36

Finn's POV

Rory and I had settled into the apartment later that evening, and she wanted to try some take out from different places in the area. Truth be told, I was happy to just get to spend some more one-on-one time with her, without worrying about anyone else being around. Some of our best moments were when it was just the two of us.

"Comfy, Kitten?" I asked teasingly, seeing her lounged on the couch when I came back in the living room from changing into some more comfortable clothes.

She didn't move, but I saw her smile and nod slightly. "You have the most comfortable couch I have ever had the pleasure of flopping on" she teased back.

I laughed and sat down beside her, resting her feet in my lap. "Food should be here in about thirty minutes, want to watch some TV in the meantime?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "Meh, I don't care. I'm kinda enjoying just doing nothing" she said.

"I bet you are. You don't have much to worry about when you're here with me, Love" I promised her, earning me another smile.

"I know. And thank you for that. I needed to just relax a bit. Things have been so up in the air lately, and so stressful, this may just be where I need to come to escape from it all" she told me.

"I'd like that. And, you're welcome here anytime" I told her.

"Thank you. I may just have to take you up on that" she said, biting her lower lip. I've come to realize she does this when she's nervous about something.

"So, my sister texted me earlier. She wanted to apologize for being so harsh last night. She meant well, but the execution was terrible" I told her, changing the subject.

"They don't know me, so I can understand why they could assume someone you were with would try to trap you or something. I don't really blame them. In all honesty, I'm a little surprised that you believed me so easily. I mean, I'm definitely not lying, and they're definitely yours, but I would've thought that you would have needed proof or something" she said.

I pressed my lips together and shook my head thoughtfully. "No. I mean, yeah, if it were anyone else, of course! I would have never believed it without proof, but with you? I trust you, Rory. One hundred percent. I know you would never lie to me, even more so, I know you would absolutely never lie about something like that. I know you better than that" I told her.

She turned to look at me in surprise. "Really?" she asked me, in such a small voice. I couldn't help but smile at her as I nodded.

"Really. I never once doubted you - once I was smart enough to fit all the puzzle pieces together, of course" I teased.

She sat up and came closer, wrapping her arms around me, and hugging me tightly. "Thank you, Finn. You have no idea what that means to me" she whispered.

I kissed the top of her head, and wrapped my arms around her, pressing my cheek into her hair. "You never have to thank me for that, Love. Ever" I promised.

We sat there in silence, wrapped in each other's arms, when my phone started to ring. I could recognize by the ring tone that it was Logan, and seeing as how this was his first attempt at contact since I told him about being with Rory, I figured it was too important to miss.

"Love, it's Logan" I told her. She pulled away and nodded, and I reached for the phone. "Hey, Mate!" I said, happy to hear from my friend.

"Hey, man. I'm sorry that it's been a couple of weeks - I needed some time to come to grips with everything" Logan replied as soon as I greeted him. I nodded my head, even though he couldn't see me.

"No, I totally get it. Hell, it took me a couple of weeks to wrap my head around the whole thing" I chuckled. "How are you doing with everything?" I asked hesitantly.

Logan cleared his throat and hesitated for a moment.

"I'm doing...okay, I think. It was really hard to realize that my best friend and ex-girlfriend slept together. I know I shouldn't feel like I was betrayed, because she had broken things off, but it's hard not to feel that way. I'm working on it, though" Logan promised.

"I appreciate that more than you know, Mate. We told the whole gang, and they were concerned about how you were doing as well. Honestly, I've been losing my mind not knowing how you were doing with everything, but I knew I needed to give you the space that you asked for."

"I do appreciate that, man. How are things going there, by the way?" Logan asked.

I hesitated and looked up at Rory. "Things are going well. We actually went to the doctor earlier this week, and we found out that we're having twins. I get to figure out how to be a dad with two babies" I said with a small laugh.

"Whoa, that's...well, that's two babies" Logan replied. "And how's Rory? Is she doing okay?"

"Yeah, she's doing really well. We're at fifteen weeks now, and we told my family together last night, and then we did some shopping and saw her dad today for lunch" I replied.

"How'd your parents take it, man? After all the lectures we all got about not getting a girl pregnant, I wouldn't want to be in your shoes."

"They actually took it pretty well. They were a bit concerned about whether or not the babies were mine, but after I helped them understand how well I knew Rory and how much I trusted her things settled down. My mum is over-the-moon about having two more little ones to love on" I said proudly. It was crazy how proud I already was of our babies, and they weren't even born yet.

"Good, that's really good" Logan replied awkwardly.

"Yeah, it's good. She's spending the weekend with me in Boston." I instantly wondered if I should have said that.

"I can't help but notice the frequent use of the word "we" and how much time you two have spent together. Are you guys still doing this separately, just trying to figure out how to co-parent?" Logan asked. I sighed and ran my free hand through my hair. I didn't want to answer this question because I wasn't sure what to say, but I couldn't stand the thought of deceiving him about my intentions. I turned toward Rory and and covered the phone. "Love? I'm just going to go finish this conversation in my bedroom, okay?" I said softly. She nodded to me and I walked to my room and shut the door behind me.

"That's a bit of a tough question to answer, honestly, Mate. We aren't together, but it's my hope that she'll realize that I can be reliable and trustworthy and we can work toward that goal. We've made some good progress - we've opened up to each other and had a lot of tough conversations. Things are shifting slowly between us" I answered quietly, wondering how he was going to take the news. I heard Logan inhale sharply on the other side of the line.

"Why Rory, Finn? Why did it have to be the only woman I've ever loved?" Logan asked softly.

"I'm sorry, Logan. I didn't mean for it to happen, I swear, but she's also the only woman I've ever loved, too…"

You could have heard a pin drop, and for a moment I thought perhaps the line had gone dead.

"You love her? How did that happen? That's awfully quick" Logan replied.

"It's not quick at all. I've loved her for...well, I don't know how long, but it started before the night we slept together. I don't want to hurt you, but I feel like I owe it to you to be honest. I don't want to have to call up my best mate and break more awkward news down the line - this way, if we do end up together, at least you had a head's up…"

"A head's up" Logan said with a scoff, the tension thickening.

"Look, Mate, she and I aren't together. Like I said. She knows I have feelings for her, but I haven't even told her as much as I've told you. She has no idea how strongly I feel for her, and I honestly don't plan to tell her right now. We have a lot on our plates, and the last thing we need is to let feelings mess things up. Right now, and possibly indefinitely, Rory and I are just friends. You may not even have anything to get used to there" I said quickly, although hoping I was wrong.

"Finn, you and I both know how irresistible you are" Logan teased. I let out the breath I was holding and just laughed harder than I had in a long time. If he was able to make jokes, then maybe - just maybe - there was hope for our friendship yet!


	37. Chapter 37

Rory's POV

I sat on the couch, enjoying the quiet and thinking through the day while Finn was talking with Logan. I hoped that Logan's phone call meant that he and Finn would be okay. I know Finn had been worried about what would come of their friendship. As I sat there, I couldn't help but wonder about what had happened between my dad and Finn. I wanted to believe that Finn was involved by choice, but not knowing what had happened was concerning. I honestly didn't know what I would do if he were to decide that he didn't want to be part of this after all. I had come to depend on him already.

I was pulled from my thoughts when I heard the bedroom door shut, and before I knew it Finn was sitting next to me on the couch again.

"You're smiling - does that mean it went well?" I asked hopefully.

He smiled and me and nodded. "It does, Love. He's still processing things to an extent, but he and I are going to be just fine. I can't tell you how much better I feel after hearing from him. We've been friends for so long, and I can't imagine losing that friendship."

"Well, I'm glad that everything's going to be okay. I guess he and Odette are doing well?" I asked.

"They are. He said that things are going as well as he could hope there. They're still working on establishing their relationship. He said they'll be here in January, and they would love to have dinner with us while they're in town" Finn replied hesitantly.

I had to admit that it would feel odd to have dinner with Logan and his wife, but I wanted to make an effort to support Finn as much as he was supporting me.

"Yeah, that would be nice" I answered quietly.

Finn reached up and gently turned my face so we could make eye contact. "Is something on your mind, Rory? Something seems...off, for lack of a better word."

I sighed and scooted over a bit, putting some space between us, and turning my body fully toward him. "It's just...I can't quit thinking about the fact that you and my dad talked the night before you appeared in Stars Hollow to talk to me" I whispered.

Finn nodded and rubbed his hands over his face. "Let's talk about it. What's on your mind?" he asked.

"I had convinced myself that I could do this without you if I had to, but then you showed up and things have been really good, Finn. It would kill me to find out that you didn't really want to be involved, or for you to suddenly decide someday that this wasn't the life you wanted" I confessed.

Finn's face showed a myriad of emotions - surprise, concern, sincerity. I watched them fly across his face in quick succession.

"Look at me, Rory," Finn said firmly. "I kind of went off the deep end, trying to figure out how to handle everything when I found out that I was going to be a dad. Your dad ran into me at the bar. I was drunk and upset because I felt like I'd already blown it and there was no way you would let me be part of this. Your dad just encouraged me to put all of my effort into what was really important to me. I didn't realize that he was your dad at the moment, but it really helped me to hear about his regrets in his relationships with you and your mom over the years. I needed to hear that it wasn't too late for me to get my shit together and go after the life that I want. You and our babies are what's important to me, Rory. I find myself thinking about the three of you all day, and I want this life so badly. I'm scared to death that I'll screw it up, and I can only hope that you'll forgive me and give me another chance when I do, but I'm in this completely" he answered.

I'd never heard him speak so passionately about anything other than redheads and liquor. I could see how honest he was being and how desperate he was for me to believe him. I was known for needing lists and time to think, but something about Finn made me ready to take a leap and trust him. He'd been so amazing these last few weeks. I smiled and reached out and laced our fingers together.

"You know, I'm really proud of you, Finn. I know that this whole thing has been a huge adjustment for you, but you've done an amazing job. I've never had to wonder if you would keep your promises, and you've been so good to me. I never planned on having kids until after I was married, if even then, but you...you've turned this into a really good thing" I whispered.

He smiled and pulled me into his lap. I relaxed against his chest and sighed happily.

"I've never wanted to get married or have kids, but I wouldn't want to do this with anyone else. This is the happiest I've ever been."

"I think I'm right there with you" I admitted.

"It's amazing to think - you know, I never believed in fate or any of that nonsense, but I feel like we were meant to do this together, in a weird way - if that makes any sense" he whispered, looking deep into my eyes.

I took a deep breath and nodded in agreement. "I've always believed I make my own path, but I definitely feel like there was something else that had a hand in it" I whispered, gently touching his cheek with my hand.

He closed his eyes and nuzzled into my touch. I couldn't help it, it was as if something magnetic was pulling me to him. I kissed him again, this time with more urgency and passion burning through me. I almost craved him. But his surprised smile caused me to smile back and take a deep breath.

"Why'd you stop?" He whispered, opening his eyes to look at me once more.

"I'm just enjoying the moment" I whispered.

"I enjoyed it better this way" he whispered, kissing me again, his hands on my face, and I didn't want to let him go.


	38. Chapter 38

Rory's POV

"Hey kiddo" Lorelai said, walking in front door, flopping herself on the couch dramatically out of sheer exhaustion.

"Hey, there's my long-lost mother! I was starting to forget what you looked like" I quipped.

"Ugh I feel like I haven't been home before dark in weeks!" She exclaimed.

"That's because you _haven't_ " I teased her.

"You try organizing and overseeing the construction for the annex and see how early you get home" she said, sticking her tongue out at me and I just laughed.

"I'm actually glad you're home, though. I've been needing to talk to you about something important, but you've been so busy, I didn't want to add to any of it - especially when you're home long enough to drink a cup of coffee and go to bed. And then wake up, have another cup and leave again" I said.

"You can always still talk to me, kiddo - I mean, I may not have been coherent, but I would've at least tried to listen" she said.

I laughed and shook my head. "I don't think that counts, mom" I teased.

"Well, so talk to me. What's up? Wait - should we do this with dinner?" She asked.

"Yeah, dinner's good. Luke's?" I asked.

"Duh!" She said, grabbing her coat. I put mine on as well, and we walked out the door.

We decided to walk the distance to Luke's in order to get some preliminary talking in. "So what's going on with you?" She asked.

I sighed - not sure how well mom would take the news I was about to tell her. "Well, it's about Finn" I told her.

"Sexy, Australian father to my grandchildren, go on" she said.

"Well, as you know he and I have been spending a lot of time together. He's been amazing and even when we don't see each other, he still calls and texts throughout the day to check on the babies and I. I just, I don't know...I like that he's been here" I said.

"He has been pretty consistent, I have to admit. I really didn't think he would stick to all this" she said.

"I know, that was my worry at first, too, but he and I have been talking - like deep, meaningful talks - and I've never seen him so passionate about anything else in his life that was something good - always sex and alcohol. But now? He's totally all about me, and the babies, and taking care of us, and it's just - it's nice…" I told her.

"I can see how having him there, and the stability of knowing he enjoys being there, would be reassuring for you" she said.

"Very much. I don't know. I mean, we're not together or anything, but I know he has feelings for me...he's told me...but he also told me that co-parenting with me means more to him than anything, and he isn't worried about acting on his feelings - that while he would like to be with me, he doesn't want to mess anything up by having it not work out" I said.

"And now you wish he would act on it?" she asked.

"Yes, no...I don't know. I mean, I'm not as opposed to the idea as I was weeks ago, let's put it that way. I don't know...we've shared some pretty intense moments - I've kissed him twice! That's right, _I_ kissed _him_ , not the other way around. I don't know. I mean, I don't want to mess up our amazing friendship, either, but - what _if_ we could have more?" I rambled.

Mom was silent for a moment, and processed the information I'd just told her.

"I know you think I shouldn't get involved, and that he will just hurt me, and that he could take off at any given moment, but I really feel like he's here to stay, Mom" I told her.

She stopped and looked at me. "That's not necessarily what I said…Or maybe it was, I don't remember exactly. But look, Rory, more than anything, I think you should follow your heart. He's already earned your trust, and to be honest, he's got mine, too. He's been amazing to you, and I couldn't ask for much more than that from the father of my grand babies. All I ever care about is how you feel, and how you're treated. It's your life, kid, and I just want it to be amazing. And if Finn can help make it amazing, then I want that for you" she said.

I was shocked - and speechless - it took me a moment to process what I wanted to say. "...Wow, Mom…I really thought you would fight me on it - saying that even thinking about anything like this was a mistake and should be avoided at all costs" I said with a slight laugh.

"Oh come on, give me _some_ credit there, kiddo. I'm not that awful" she said.

I laughed and hugged her. "Thanks for the support. But I'm not going to do anything about this right now. I'm still not ready. But I'm open to the possibility of maybe one day _being_ ready - but that day isn't today" I told her.

"Well, just know that whenever that day comes, if it comes, you'll have support from us" Lorelai promised as they walked into the diner.

They took a seat at their favorite table, and Luke smiled warmly when he saw them. "You ladies want your usual?" he asked as he approached them.

"Yes, please!" I replied. I already felt better just having talked to my mom about what was going on.

"Now, tell me all about your weekend in Boston" Mom demanded playfully after Luke had walked away to turn in our orders.

"It was...perfect" I replied softly. "We had dinner with his family and told them about the babies. His sister was a bit concerned at first, but she came around. Frankly, I can't blame her. And then we had lunch with Dad on Saturday and told him the latest news about the number of inhabitants in my womb. Finn took me maternity clothes shopping, which was actually fun. And oh my gosh - he makes the best chocolate chip cookies I've had in my entire life!" I said excitedly.

"Whoa, don't let Sookie hear that, kiddo" Mom teased.

"I won't let her hear it, but I will smuggle you some back with me the next time I go to Boston" I said with a laugh.


	39. Chapter 39

Rory's POV

I took a deep breath, standing at the doorway of Emily Gilmore's Nantucket home, not knowing exactly which Emily to expect to come out when she found out the news - would it be society Emily who would be livid, or calm, serene Emily who lives and works at the beach? I had no idea, and frankly, I was terrified.

I finally got up the courage to knock on the door, but was interrupted when my cell phone rang. "Rory, are you in town yet? I'm just finishing up at the museum, and I was wondering if you might want to meet me here, so I could show you around? It's quite an amazing museum!" Her voice sounded, confidently.

"I was literally just about to knock on your front door, Grandma, but sure! I'd love to see where you work. How do I get there from here?" I asked, listening as she gave me directions. "Okay, grandma. I'll be right there" I told her, heading back to my car.

I arrived at the Nantucket Whaling Museum a few minutes later and took it all in from the outside first. It didn't look like much, and almost seemed small to me, in the sense of other museums I've been to, but it seemed very nice and inviting.

"Well what are you doing standing around out here, Rory? Come! Come inside and have a look. It's so interesting here!" Grandma said, greeting me in her own way, coming outside to pull me in.

She gave me the full tour, complete with hanging whale skeletons from the ceiling and old whaling ships on display, this was truly unlike anything I've ever seen before. "Wow, Grandma! This place is really great! I can see why you love it here so much!" I told her, looking around some more.

"This has definitely become my home away from home. I enjoy being here so much, that they have to remind me to go back to my house sometimes" she teased.

I laughed and looked at her beaming face. I haven't seen her this happy since before Grandpa passed away, and I was happy to see it now. "I'm glad you have this place, Grandma. It looks good on you" I told her with a smile.

"It's been an amazing distraction, that's for sure. I miss your grandfather very much, but I love my life right now. It's been an amazing journey, being on my own, but I do miss him, Rory" she told me.

"Of course you do, grandma! We all do. No one questions whether or not you miss him. He was an amazing man, and his presence isn't replaceable. But distractions can be good" I told her.

She smiled at me and put her hand on mine. "Thank you, Rory. It's just still hard to believe he's gone some days" she said, and then she stood up abruptly. "Well, what do you say we go get some lunch?" She asked, pulling herself back together.

"Of course, just lead the way, Grandma" I said with a smile.

After grandma and I got back to her beach home, we sat on the back deck, overlooking the beach, hearing the relaxing waves crashing against the shore and the rocks, and just soaking it all in.

Berta brought out some drinks for us, and I smelled it before drinking - alcoholic - I guess now was when I should tell her before it goes any further.

"Is something wrong with your drink?" Grandma asked in concern as I set it back on the table, untouched.

"No, I'm sure it's delicious, but you'll have to drink it for me, or save it for me for another few months" I teased, trying to ease into the topic.

"Why on earth would I save a drink for months?" She asked, clearly not understanding.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you, and I don't know how to say it, so I'm just going to say it" I said, looking up at her confused expression.

"Well, go on" she prompted.

"Grandma, what I've been wanting to tell you is, I'm pregnant" I told her.

"Pregnant?" She asked, as if confused by the word.

"Yes, and it's not just one baby, it's twins" I told her.

"But Rory, I wasn't even aware you were dating anyone, let alone serious enough to consider marriage and children!" She said, a little too happily, and I was about to burst her happy little bubble.

"I'm not, Grandma. I'm not dating anyone, and I'm not getting married to their father" I told her, immediately cringing as I watched the emotions flash across her face.

"You're not getting married to the father of your children? Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, this is unacceptable! Your mother's behavior didn't shock me, but this, young lady, is utter bullshit" she ranted angrily.

"Grandma!" I exclaimed, shocked at her use of profanity.

"Please, you're pregnant by some man who you're not even dating and you think you get to comment on my language? Think again!" Grandma huffed.

I sighed and dropped my head into my hands. At this point, I really wished Finn would have come with me. Maybe Grandma would have behaved better if he'd been here. I felt a few tears slide down my cheeks and closed my eyes for a minute.

"Grandma, I know that you're disappointed in me, and I know that this isn't optimal, but these babies will be loved and well taken care of by both myself and their father. I understand if you can't be happy for me right now, but I hope you'll get there at some point. I never wanted this or planned for it, but I'm actually really happy with my life right now. Sure, it was a shock to find out I was pregnant, but now that I've had a chance to process things I'm really excited. Despite what's going on, or rather not going on, between the dad and me, he's going to be an amazing dad to these two little ones. I just thought I owed it to you to tell you in person. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go lay down for a bit" I finished before walking off, tears now streaming down my face. I didn't want to let her see how badly I was hurt by her reaction.

I walked into the guest room and laid down on the bed. I couldn't stop myself from reliving Grandma's reaction over and over again in my head. I was jarred from my thoughts by the ringing of my phone, and I relaxed when I heard the ringtone. It was Finn.

"Hey" I answered quietly, still sniffling.

"Hey, Love. I was calling to see how it was going, but it sounds like you've been crying. Are you okay?" he asked. I could hear the concern in his voice.

I shook my head, even though he couldn't see me. "No, I'm really not. Unfortunately, Grandma was the old Emily Gilmore from Hartford when I told her the news. She reacted horribly - I don't know if I've ever seen her so angry. I couldn't listen anymore, so I came to the guest room to lay down" I replied quietly.

"I'm so sorry, Rory. I should have taken off today and gone with you" Finn replied.

"No, you had things that you had to take care of in the office today, and she might have still reacted just as badly" I insisted.

"Maybe, but at least I would have been there to take care of you" Finn said softly.

"I'll be okay - I've dealt with worse. It just sucks to know what a disappointment I am to her right now" I said as more tears fell from my face.

"You are not a disappointment, Love. You never could be. Listen, something really important came up that I need to tend to, but I'll talk to you again before you know it, okay?" Finn asked.

I couldn't help but be sad that he had to go already. "Yeah, sure. I'll talk to you later" I whispered.

"Before you know it, I promise" he said, echoing his previous words.

I just wished he could wrap his arms around me and tell me everything was going to be okay.


	40. Chapter 40

Rory's POV

I was still lying in bed, trying to calm myself and wishing I could see Finn, when I heard a soft knock on my door.

"Rory? Can I come in, please?" I heard Grandma ask. She sounded less angry than she had when I'd left her.

"Sure, come on in" I agreed reluctantly as I shifted into a sitting position.

She opened the door and walked in with an apologetic look on her face. She came over to the bed and sat down next to me. We sat there in silence for a few minutes before she finally spoke.

"I owe you an apology, Rory. What I said out there - it wasn't okay. I hope you can forgive me" Grandma said quietly.

I looked over at her and saw the remorse written all over her face.

"Of course" I whispered. "I know it's a lot to take in - trust me, I get it. It's not the kind of news that I wanted to be breaking to my family."

Grandma reached over and took my hand in hers. "You know, for the longest time, your grandfather and I talked about when you would have kids. We always imagined that you would be married, perhaps you and Logan would have found your way back to each other." I stiffened at her words. "But many times, life doesn't look like what we expect it to. The only thing Richard and I ever wanted was for you to be happy, and I know that these last couple of years have been hard for you. But if you're happy - if the fact that you're bringing these new lives into the world makes you happy - then I'm happy. Because Rory, I love you, and I want to be part of your life, and these babies' lives."

I turned to Grandma and smiled. "I am happy, Grandma. And I think if you would give Finn a chance, you would like him. He's really good to me" I said softly.

"Finn? Is that the dad's name? Tell me about him."

I nodded and my smile grew bigger. "Yeah, Finn is the dad. He's an old friend of mine from Yale. I actually think you probably know his family - he's Nick and Annie Morgan's son. Or maybe you know them as Finnick and Anita? They insisted that I call them Nick and Annie."

"The Morgan family? I do know them. They're a fine family" Grandma beamed as she started to get excited again.

"I got to meet them last week, and they were really great to me" I admitted.

"Well, why don't you fill me in on everything."

I turned to face Grandma and began telling her everything I could think of. "Let's see...we're due in May, although with twins there's a chance that they'll come earlier. Finn was at the appointment with me when we found out that we're having twins, and it was a bit surreal. He's become a rock in my life. He checks in with me several times a day, wanting to know how the babies and I are doing. We're racking up quite a bank of frequent driver miles from our frequent trips between Stars Hollow and Boston."

"So you two are spending a good bit of time together?" she asked.

"We are. He's come to Stars Hollow a few times since we found out, and I've made a couple of trips to Boston. I really like having him around" I confided.

"So you two get along well? I would think that would be important if you're going to raise these babies together" Grandma asked.

"Oh yes, we get along incredibly well. I find myself dreading when we have to leave each other again - it just feels so right to be with him" I whispered.

Grandma smiled and opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again. She looked like she was holding some sort of secret and it was killing her.

"What?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing that needs to be said right now, dear. I'm just happy for you. Do you know what you're having yet?"

I laughed and shifted back against the headboard again. "No, we don't. They looked at our ultrasound, but only one baby would cooperate, and honestly we were in shock from finding out we were having twins. We decided to wait until we could find out the gender of both babies."

Grandma nodded, and her smile grew. "I can't believe I'm going to be a great grandma. I'm more excited that you know, Rory. And again, I'm so sorry I gave you the opposite impression. I was just taken by surprise. Women from my generation - society or not - we just always had that expectation of marrying the father of our children. I'm sorry I pushed that on you, that wasn't right of me. Many women are strong and capable of making it on their own these days - your mother is a fine example of a strong woman. But, it doesn't seem like you'll have to do it completely alone. Finn seems like he's really taking this seriously, and that's an amazing thing to hear. Many men from society would just pay you off. I'm happy to hear that he wants to be involved" she said.

"He's so incredible, Grandma. I was very apprehensive at first, but I like having a partner throughout all of this, and he makes for a good one. Once he came to terms with the fact that they were his, he hasn't let me down even once" I told her.

"Those Morgans are a fine family, Rory. They're not like the rest of society. They are the perfect middle ground just like you are, and that's probably why they are all so accepting of yours and his situation. I'm happy you have that acceptance - I sure didn't have that with Richard's family. I still made do, but it was miserable and lonely at times. I wouldn't wish that on anyone" she said, with a slight pause, but then she changed the subject. "Why don't we go back outside on the deck, I'll have Berta make you something nonalcoholic, and we can go back to relaxing like we were before all this. And we can continue our conversation there?"

I smiled and nodded. "That would be nice" I told her.

After talking for an hour or so, my ringtone sounded, again telling me that Finn was the one calling.

Grandma could see the smile grow on my face as the realization hit. "I need to take this, is that okay, Grandma?" I asked her.

"Of course! I'm not here" she said with a knowing look on her face.

"Hey, that really was before I knew it" I said into the phone happily.

"I told you" he said, I could hear a smile in his voice. "So you sound much happier and more relaxed than when we talked last" he said.

"Yeah, Grandma and I have been having a good talk" I told him, looking at Grandma with a smile.

"Well good, I'm glad she came around. Speaking of coming around, would I be imposing if I surprised you?" He asked.

"Surprised me? What do you mean?" I asked, confusion written on my face.

We could hear a knock on the door and I could hear Berta more clearly than I feel like I should've been able to, and then it was muffled.

"Ms. Gilmore, you have a visitor" Berta said, coming onto the back porch.

"I do? Well who is it? I wasn't expecting anyone else" Grandma said.

"Finn Morgan" she said.

Excitement beamed on my face. "You're here?" I asked into the phone.

"I might be" he said with a laugh, and I rushed to the door to greet him.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him, hanging up my phone.

"You needed me" he whispered, pulling me in for a hug, and then he looked behind me, seeing Emily in the doorway watching the moment unfold. He could see her entire face smiling and that her eyes were sparkling. She was very happy indeed.


	41. Chapter 41

Emily's POV

"It's a beautiful night - what would you say to moving outside to talk?" I asked after we'd finished dinner. I was intrigued by watching Rory and Finn interact with each other during the short time since he'd arrived unexpectedly. I had my suspicions that there was more going on there than either of them were ready to admit.

"Yeah, that would be nice" Rory replied.

I led them through the sitting room, picking up two throw blankets on the way, and sat down on a chaise lounge on the deck. Finn led Rory over to a wicker loveseat and they sat down next to each other - it seemed those two were never far apart if given the choice. I handed them a blanket and Finn wrapped it around them both.

"So Finn, how is your family?" I asked after we were all comfortable.

"They're doing very well, Ms. Gilmore" he began before I interrupted him.

"Please, call me Emily. There's no need to be so formal; we're practically family, with you and Rory expecting together" I replied with a smile.

"Of course, Emily. My family is doing well. We're all working extra hours with the holiday rush - we're not immune to it in the banking world. And of course, we're preparing to go to Australia for Christmas" he answered. He and Rory shared a look that I couldn't quite interpret upon mention of Australia.

"And how did they take the news of the newest little Morgans? Or will they be Gilmores?" I asked.

"These little ones are Gilmore-Morgans" Rory said as she placed her hands on her stomach. Now that I looked at her, I could tell she was starting to show a bit. I watched as Finn smiled at her and reached over and rubbed the small swell of her belly tenderly. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that he was crazy about my granddaughter.

"And my parents are over-the-moon at having two more grandbabies. They thought I would never give them any grandchildren" Finn chuckled.

I smiled and nodded at at them both. "So, Rory says you live in Boston, Finn?" I asked.

"Yes, I do currently. I'm not certain how long I'll stay there, though" he answered.

Rory's head shot up and she looked at him questioningly. "What do you mean?" she whispered.

"Well, I just thought that at some point we might like to reside in the same city - it would make co-parenting much easier. I can't imagine being two hours away from you and the kids. You could move to Boston if you wanted, but I assumed that you would want to be close to your mom. I could always transfer to the Hartford office and then we'd be closer to each other" Finn replied quietly.

I watched silently as Rory's jaw dropped and she smiled. Before I knew it, she had scooted closer to him and was hugging him fiercely. "You'd do that for us?" she whispered to Finn.

"Of course, Love. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you three. This is my family now."

"We're not your _only_ family, Finn, what about your parents? And your sister and nephews? You'd be two hours from them" Rory said in concern.

He chuckled lightly. "I've actually been seeing you more frequently than I've been seeing them, Ror. It'll be fine, I promise. I wouldn't let anything get in the way of seeing them, either, but you guys are my top priority" he said.

"You know" I said, interjecting into their moment, and they both looked up at me. "I happen to know of a house in Hartford that could use a caregiver or four… It's just sitting there, collecting dust, and there's a pool house where you could be separated enough to have your own space" I pointed out.

Rory looked at me in surprise. "Your house?" She asked.

"Well of course, I can't bring myself to sell it, and I can't live there ever again - too many memories. It deserves to have a new family" I told her.

"You're serious!?" Rory asked, disbelief written all over her.

"I'm serious" I told her laughing.

"But - I can't afford to buy it - I don't even have a job yet! And I wouldn't feel right making any updates to it…" she said.

"Rory, it's yours. I won't take no for an answer. You can make changes to it - painting, redecorating, renovating - anything that helps it feel more like _your_ home rather than mine. I insist. It's mine and your grandfather's gift to you and your growing - _family_ " I told her.

"Wow… Grandma… I don't know what to say…!" she said.

"And you can move in whenever you're ready. You don't have to jump. And I'm sure there will be loose ends for you to tie up before you'd be able to move, Finn, so I don't want either of you to feel any pressure to move quickly. I also don't want you two to rush into anything you're not ready for, either. But it's yours whenever you're ready" I told them.

Finn's POV

Emily had gone to bed, and Rory was taking a shower, so I got up from the bed I'd made on the couch and walked out to the back deck. It may not be the Pacific, but the ocean was certainly calling to me anyway.

I recalled the events of the day - the topic of moving in together was far more than I expected. I assumed we'd live near each other, not at the same residence. I wondered how Rory was feeling about all of this. It happened so suddenly, but I don't want her to feel obligated to let me move in with her, just because that's what Emily suggested. I wanted it to be what she wanted - God knows I wanted it - but it wasn't anything I wanted to assume for her.

After a while, I could hear the sliding glass door open behind me, and I knew it was just a mere matter of seconds before Rory was sitting beside me. I smiled when I felt her do just that.

"Are you cold, Kitten? I brought you a blanket" I said to her.

"Are we supposed to move in together now?" She asked, completely ignoring my question. She seemed a little bit spooked. Uh oh.

"That never has to happen unless that's what you want, Love. I would move in with you in a heartbeat, but only if it's what you wanted, too" I assured her.

She shook her head - it wasn't a 'no', it was more of a confused, she didn't know what to think sort of action.

"We don't have to decide anything today, either, you know. We have time. What I'm more concerned about is getting you settled in, and getting the nurseries set up, and then the rest will come up when you're ready to deal with it" I told her.

"I think I'm afraid to live alone with two babies, though. Before, I thought I'd be living with my mom and Luke, but now I have to suddenly live alone with them - without any help…" she said.

I chuckled lightly and pulled her into my arms. "You'll never go without any help, Rory" I promised her.

She looked up at me, almost pleadingly. "I need you there with me if I live there" she said.

"Then if that's what you need, that's where I'll be. But no matter what you decide, this doesn't change the fact that we're doing this together. I don't have to live with you for that to be true" I promised her.

"I think I want you to" she told me.

"You think?" I asked softly.

She nodded and looked back up at me. "Will you?" You can have the whole pool house to yourself - I wouldn't expect you to want to be in the main house with the screaming and crying. But just having you that close would make me feel a million times better" she said.

I didn't want to push it - I knew I wouldn't mind being in a house with two screaming and crying infants waking me at all hours of the night. I might get a little sleep-deprived, but that would just mean I was a real father and not one who doesn't give a damn. She has no idea just how much I would love the opportunity to be 'that' kind of dad. "Love, I will go wherever you need me to go. At any given time. I promise you" I told her.

The sliding glass door opened once more and we looked up to see Emily standing beside it. "It's cold out here, you'll freeze. You need to get inside and get some sleep" she told us.

We nodded and stood up from our bench, and followed her into the house. I went to go lay down on the couch and she stopped me. "You know where you need to be tonight, and it's not on that couch. It's taking care of my beautiful grand daughter" she said.

"But Grandma -" Rory started.

"No buts. Go on up to your room. The both of you. And get a good night's rest" Emily said, shooing us both away.

I nodded and took Rory's hand in mine, leading her away to her room.


	42. Chapter 42

Rory's POV

"You two drive safely" Grandma said as she dropped us off at the ferry. "And Finn? Take good care of my granddaughter and great-grandbabies."

Finn nodded and smiled at Grandma and then led me toward the dock where the ferry was waiting. We boarded a short time later, and I walked over to the railing and looked out over the water. I almost immediately felt Finn walk up behind me and smiled.

"It's really peaceful" I whispered.

"That it is. I've always loved the ocean, although I certainly prefer the Pacific" he replied.

I turned and and smiled at him and then shivered a bit.

"You're cold? We can go inside" he offered.

I shook my head and wrapped my arms around myself tightly. "No, it's so beautiful out here. I'll be fine for now" I assured him.

He opened his coat up and pulled me close to him, wrapping it around us both. "That should keep you a bit warmer until you decide you want to go inside."

We stood out on the deck, watching the world go by, for quite some time before I finally decided it was time to go in.

"Alright, I'm ready for some heat and something hot to drink" I finally caved.

"You lasted longer than I expected. Come on, Love - let's go" he said as he took my hand and led me into the sitting area. I sat down at a table near the windows and he joined me a few minutes later with two cups of hot chocolate. He slid one toward me and I took it gratefully, warming my hands on the warm cup.

"Thank you" I said quietly. "You're always so good to me."

"Well, you make it easy, Kitten" Finn chuckled.

We rode in comfortable silence, drinking our hot cocoas and just enjoying the silence. The ferry finally docked after an hour on board and Finn led me to where my car was parked.

"Will you drive?" I asked as I held out the keys toward him.

"Are you sure, Love? I don't mind, but it's your car" he replied.

"I'm sure. I'd like to just relax - it's kind of a long drive" I assured him.

"Say no more - I'm happy to drive" Finn replied. He helped me into the passenger seat and then dropped our bags in the trunk.

"What time is your flight back?" I asked him.

"It leaves Hartford at 8:00 tonight. Are you sure you don't mind taking me to the airport?" he asked.

"No, of course not. It's the least I can do. You came to my rescue this weekend and appeared in Nantucket, I can definitely take you to the airport" I assured him.

"Well, it was no big deal at all. I was happy I could get here. So, what do you have planned for this week?" he asked.

"Not much" I admitted. "I guess I might go over to the house in Hartford and look around, see what I want to change. It's so weird to think of it as my house now" I admitted.

"I bet it is. I keep forgetting to talk to you about something. Our company is having their big Christmas party in New York City next weekend, and I have to go. I was hoping you might come with me?" he asked hopefully.

"You would want me there?" I asked in surprise. I knew he wasn't dating anyone, but it still surprised me that he would want me there with him, especially given that I'm starting to show. It would invite questions.

"Of course, Love. There's no one else I would rather have there with me. We could spend the weekend in the city and relax, sightsee a bit if you wanted to. It's a formal event, so you would need a dress that will make me forget my name" he teased.

"Isn't that what alcohol is for?" I joked back.

He looked at me, feigning offense. "Hey, I'll have you know that I haven't drank in excess since the first night I came to Stars Hollow to find you. Priorities have changed, Miss Gilmore."

I smiled and looked at him in awe. "Yeah, I suppose they have, haven't they?" I said as more of a statement than a question.

"Hey, if we have time before your flight, you should come with me to see the house - especially since she thinks you should be staying there too - even if only in the pool house" I said with a laugh.

"If we have time, sure, but just because she suggested it, doesn't mean we have to live together, Rory, just that it would make things easier" he said, turning to look at me for a moment before focusing back on the road.

I shrugged. "We have a while to talk about options" I pointed out. "Nothing has to be decided anytime soon, I mean, I'm only sixteen weeks pregnant, we still have like five months to go til we have newborns."

"Hopefully they stay in as long as you're planning them to, Love" he chuckled.

Finn's POV

Rory and I made it back to Hartford around five in the afternoon, so we had plenty of time before my flight. I followed her directions to get to the Gilmore home, and we parked out in front of the main entrance.

I could hear her inhale deeply, taking in a deep, shaky breath, as she took in the exterior of the house.

"Are you okay, Love?" I asked cautiously, looking over at her in concern.

She nodded, but I could tell her mind was going about a mile a minute. "I'm okay, but...I don't know that this will ever feel like my house and not like Grandma and Grandpa's house…. I mean, how will this ever feel like _home_?" she whispered.

"It would take time, and some redecoration, I'd imagine, but one day you won't even realize that you'll walk in and feel it. Besides, it would be hard not to make new memories with our children here" I said.

She nodded thoughtfully. "Have you ever thought about what they'd be like? When they're not babies anymore, but are children?" She asked.

I shrugged. "I've tried, but it's hard to picture them when we don't know if they're boys or girls. But I think about them constantly - and you. You told me you were proud of me for how I've been handling all this, well, I never told you how proud of you I am, too. You're such a strong woman to do this, and to put up with me in the process - I just want you to know that I appreciate everything you do - all of the sacrifices you make, too" I told her.

She smiled and I could see her face light up. "Thank you" she said.

I nodded in reply, "So...did you still want to show me around? Or do you want to sit here and talk in the driveway the whole time?" I teased.

She let out the breath she was holding and nodded. "Yeah, let's go inside" she said.

After the grand tour, Rory and I sat down in the living room. "It's very nice, Love" I said.

"It is, but it's not homey - and I don't even know where to start to make it my own. On one hand, I want to keep everything the same, but on the other hand, I want to change it all because it's too painful" she said.

"You have time to decide" I told her.

"I know I do, but that's the thing, I feel like I'll always be conflicted. I feel like I'll regret changing anything if I do, but if I don't, then it will never feel like home" she said.

"We can hire someone who knows what they're doing. No one is expecting you to make any of the changes yourself. It's not like it will look ruined or anything, it will come out beautiful no matter what you choose" I told her.

"Could we do it together?" She asked.

"I don't know about all that, Kitten. This is very near and dear to you, and I don't know that I could do it without getting it wrong" I said.

"I trust you" she said with a shrug.

"That's an awful lot of trust to bestow upon a person, Love, but we can definitely talk about it. Besides, my sister did my apartment and you loved that, so maybe she could help here, also?" I suggested.

"I'd be open to it, if she could help me achieve what I want - or at least help me figure _out_ what I want" she said with a laugh.

I laughed too. "She can help, she's amazing" I promised.


	43. Chapter 43

Rory's POV

I pulled up in front of Bella Bridesmaids in West Hartford. Lane had suggested that we look there for a dress for Finn's company party this weekend. I patted my newly-growing belly and turned to look at Lane. "Hopefully we can find something in here that will make Finn's jaw drop and compliments my growing waistline."

Lane laughed at me and rolled her eyes. "You're looking for sympathy from the wrong woman - I've been in your shoes, and it was over ten years ago. Let's go."

I followed Lane into the store and we began looking through the racks of dresses. I flipped through a sea of silk, taffeta, satin, lace and polyester as I looked at dress after dress.

"Do you have any idea what you're looking for?" Lane asked while she looked through the racks.

I shook my head. "No, not really. I just know that I want to take his breath away when he sees me," I said as I wrinkled my nose and put a dress back on the rack.

"Take his breath away, huh? I thought there was nothing going on there?" Lane teased.

"Hmm? It's...complicated, I guess? I don't know how to explain it."

"You could try using your words," Lane deadpanned.

I sighed and walked over to where she was standing so we weren't yelling this conversation across the bridal store.

"I really don't know how to describe it, especially using my words," I said as I rolled my eyes. "We've been spending a lot of time together, and getting to know each other, and I can't deny that there's definitely something there. When I'm with him...I feel safe, and beautiful, and relaxed, and comfortable. But then he touches me or kisses me - well actually, I'm usually the one that kisses him - and it's just unreal."

"It sounds like you're falling for him," Lane said pointedly.

I turned away and looked through another rack of dresses, adding one more to the two I'd already picked out to try on.

"You know that ignoring me doesn't make it any less true," Lane teased.

"I don't know what to say, Lane. I definitely care for him; I just don't know exactly what I want."

"Or maybe you do and you're just afraid to admit it," replied Lane.

"God, have you always been this obnoxious?!" I joked.

"Only when you're in denial and I'm right, my pregnant friend. Now, what about this one?" she asked as she held up a beautiful midnight blue one-shoulder dress.

"That one is a definite possibility."

"Here, let me take these and have them hang them up while we continue looking," Lane offered. She walked off with an armful of dresses and found a consultant to put them in a dressing room for us.

"You know how you always dreamed of your parents figuring things out and getting married when we were young?" she asked when she walked back over.

"You mean before they crashed and burned the final time?" I chuckled.

"Yeah, before that."

"I remember," I answered quietly.

"Don't you think that you owe it to your kids to at least explore that option for you and Finn now, before they're old enough to remember if it doesn't work out?" she asked.

My mouth dropped and I stared at her blankly for a minute. "I think it's time to try on these dresses," I finally answered, hoping to get away from her pearls of wisdom for a bit.

"Don't think this is over, Gilmore," Lane warned.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

I walked into the fitting room and looked through the dresses that were hanging there. I chose my least favorite first, and decided to build up from there.

I'd gotten my clothes off, and stepped into the dress, but needed help with the zipper. I summoned Lane to help me, and after zipping she spun me around for a look. We both looked at the mirror, and then to each other, crinkled our noses and shook our heads.

"Next!" She said, unzipping me.

I stepped into another one, and she helped me zip again. We liked it better, but neither of us fell in love with it, and I certainly didn't think it had jaw-dropping potential.

After trying on every one, and not being happy with any of them, I finally decided to try the midnight one that Lane had picked out from earlier.

I could tell the moment I stepped into it that I was going to love it. There was a split up the thigh and it had a one shoulder design with a belted high waist. It was pretty and feminine, with long, ventricle ruffles along the shoulder, down to the thigh, as well as all down the back the same way. It was flattering, and fit me perfectly. I didn't feel like it was overly obvious that I was pregnant, yet it was still form-fitting enough to make me feel sexy and I definitely think it gave the effect I was hoping for when I looked up at Lane who had her jaw dropped to the floor. I couldn't help but laugh at her.

"I guess this is a winner?" I asked her.

"Yeah, that dress looks like it was made for you. You absolutely have to get that dress. Finn won't know what to do with himself, he'll be falling all over you" she teased. I tried not to look phased by her comment, but I smiled at the words anyway.

"I saw that. Now let's get going so we can finish our talk over lunch" she said, unzipping me again.

Lane and I had made it to the Cheesecake Factory, also in West Hartford, and were seated quickly. "I haven't been here in forever and it's one of my favorite places" Lane said.

"Really? What do you get here? I'm not sure I've ever been" I told her.

"My absolute favorite are the Thai Lettuce Wraps. They're so good, and they say they're an appetizer, but they're big enough to be your entire meal! I highly recommend them - even to people as 'allergic' to eating healthy food as you are. I think you'll like them" she said.

I shrugged, not wanting to admit I'd been craving healthier foods these days. "Sure, I'll try it" I said adventurously.

We placed our order with the waiter and then Lane immediately turned to me, her face resting in her hands, waiting as if I were going to tell her a story.

"What?" I asked.

"You know what. Start from the beginning and spill it" she insisted. I took a deep breath and groaned before finally giving in.

"Okay, so, I guess you might be right, in some ways… I mean, I would be lying if I said I hadn't given some thought to being with Finn, but he's afraid that starting a new relationship might complicate things beyond repair and I feel like he might have a point. I want to be sure of _everything_ before I would ever decide to date him, and I'm just as afraid of screwing it up as he is, maybe even more so since I saw what happened to my mom and dad while I was growing up" I told her.

"So he's told you how he feels?" She asked.

I nodded. "He's told me he has feelings for me, but that he wouldn't want to act on them. He doesn't want to lose what we have now" I told her.

"But what if it wasn't losing, but gaining?" She asked.

"Without a guarantee, though, I'm not sure either of us want to make that choice or take that chance. We would both be too afraid that we would put a rift between us and then raising the babies together would be too awkward" I told her.

"How are you two planning to co-parent, when you're not together, and you're not living anywhere near each other? I'm not understanding that part…" she said.

"Well, he might be moving to Hartford, actually. We both might. My grandma insisted I take hers and my grandpa's house, so it looks like I'll be living there, and she suggested he live in the pool house, but we haven't decided yet if he'll live there or somewhere else in Hartford" I said.

"Somewhere else as in the master bedroom with you, where he belongs?" She asked.

" _No_ , Lane. I meant somewhere else as in not on the same property line, sharing an address" I said.

She rolled her eyes. "You'll figure it out one day, and when that day finally comes, you're going to be so mad at yourselves for waiting so long" she pointed out.

"You seem awfully sure of that" I said, taking a sip of my drink.

She shrugged. "Mark my words" was her only response.


	44. Chapter 44

Rory's POV

I stretched out on my flight from Hartford to Boston. Finn would be joining me on the connecting flight to New York, where we would spend the entire weekend together. I was a little nervous - things had definitely continued to shift between the two of us, and I was still concerned about making the right decision for our growing family. I knew that my concerns would fade into the background the minute I saw him, though - they always did.

The flight to Boston was short and uneventful. Finn had insisted on putting me in first class even though the flight was short, saying that his babies and their mom needed to be comfortable. I smiled as I walked up to the gate for the connecting flight and saw Finn. He hugged me and handed me a cup of coffee as soon as he saw me.

"Hey there, Kitten. Good flight?" he asked.

"Yeah, it was great. You might be onto something - we were quite comfortable" I said with a laugh.

He reached over and rubbed my bump tenderly for just a moment and smiled at me. "I have to take care of all three of you" he said with a smile. "Are you excited for the weekend?"

"Yeah, I really am. It will be nice to get to spend so much time with you before you leave on Tuesday." His trip to Australia for Christmas would be the longest we'd gone without seeing each other since he'd appeared in Stars Hollow.

"I agree, Love. It will be fantastic to have you all to myself for a few days," he replied.

"Well, you do have to share me tomorrow at your company party," I teased.

"Ah, but then I'll be able to show off my amazing date, and they will all be awed by your beauty and brains" he said with a laugh.

"Such a charmer!"

Just then, our flight was called. Finn took my hand and led me over to the gate. We showed our tickets and were granted entrance to the gangway. We quickly found our seats, again in first class and right next to each other.

"Aisle or window, Ror?" he asked.

"Can I have the window seat?" I asked excitedly. I loved being able to look out at the passing scenery while we were in the air.

"Of course. I wouldn't have offered otherwise" he teased.

We settled into our seats and Finn reached in his carry on bag and pulled out a bag of chocolate chip cookies.

"Are those…" I trailed off.

"Indeed, they are my chocolate chip cookies" he said with a proud grin.

I threw my arms around him and hugged him. "Oh my gosh, thank you so much!" I opened the bag and took out a cookie. I took my first bite and moaned in happiness. "These are so amazing."

Finn stared at me for a moment and then smiled and shook his head. "I've never seen anyone make eating a chocolate chip cookie so sensual" he teased.

I blushed and slapped him playfully.

Our flight took off a short while later. It had been a long day, and something about having Finn's warm body next to me soothed me into a peaceful sleep for most of the hour and a half flight. I woke up wrapped up in Finn's arms. He was running his fingers through my hair and whispering to me.

"Love, it's time to wake up. We're about to land, so I need you to open those beautiful blue eyes, okay?"

I stretched and sat up. "I'm sorry - I seem to be able to sleep anywhere these days" I said sheepishly.

"No need to be. I actually dozed a bit myself."

We landed at LaGuardia a few minutes later, and Finn collected my suitcase from baggage claim while I grabbed my garment bag with my dress in it. I smiled as I thought about the dress - he really was going to love it.

We walked out of the airport and were immediately met by our driver. After a relatively quick drive into Manhattan, we checked into the St. Regis New York. It was a gorgeous hotel, and I was entranced the moment we walked into the lobby.

"I keep forgetting you're not used to places like this. I enjoy their beauty, don't get me wrong, but I've just been so used to it my whole life that I don't ever just stop to appreciate it anymore" he said softly, looking around with me.

"You've got to stop and smell the roses from time to time, or you'll miss out" I told him.

He smiled and nodded. "I'm learning a lot from you, Ms. Gilmore" he said with a kiss on my forehead, before we followed the bellhop to the elevator.

"If you think the lobby is incredible, just wait until you see your room" the bellhop advised us.

"I can't wait" I said to Finn excitedly. I know I was like a child sometimes, but I was thoroughly enjoying myself in this moment.

"You're adorable" Finn told me with a smile, shaking his head in disbelief.

I shrugged. "I try" I teased back.

We made it to our room and Finn used the key card to open the door. We walked in together and I was just floored. "Wow… this is… the most beautiful room I think I have ever seen!" I exclaimed.

"And it comes with a surprise that I think you'll like even better" Finn told me.

"A surprise?" I asked eagerly.

"Twenty-four hour complimentary butler service, bringing you fresh coffee whenever your little heart desires" he said.

"You're kidding me?" I said.

"No, really, ma'am. It's the truth" the bellhop told me.

"Oh my gosh, I feel like I've gone to heaven" I said excitedly.

"Shall I call for your first cup?" Finn asked, already heading towards the phone.

"I'm assuming since you're already halfway there you realized how silly that question was?" I teased him. He just laughed and dialed.

"Would you like me to unpack for you? It's one of the services we offer" the bellhop said.

"Oh… uh… we can do it, you don't have to…" I stammered.

"That would be great, actually. I'm going to take the lady out to dinner, so that would help us out a lot, and save us some time" Finn said, and then began ordering our coffee when someone came on the line.

"Okay, well, I guess that would be great, then" I said with a laugh. "Could you make sure to leave the dress in the garment bag, though? It's a surprise" I asked.

"As you wish, ma'am" he said, getting started unpacking while I looked around the room, taking it all in.

"Coffee is on its way, Love" Finn said gently, wrapping his arms around my stomach as I took in the view of New York outside our window.

"This place is amazing, Finn. Thank you for bringing me here. This is going to be such a great weekend" I whispered.

He kissed me on the top of my head, and smiled. "Of course it will, Kitten. You're here with me" he said with a smirk, although truthfully he meant it in reverse.

"Okay," he continued. "Let's get freshened up and ready for dinner, then" he said, snapping himself out of his own thoughts, breaking away from me.

I nodded and went to my dresser to get a change of clothes out, and headed to the bathroom.


	45. Chapter 45

Finn's POV

I woke up Saturday morning and smiled as I saw Rory's chestnut locks fanned out across my chest. We'd long since given up pretending that we'd spend the night in separate beds, both finally admitting that we slept best together. Rory was quite the cuddler, and while that had put me off with other women in the past, I couldn't help but love it with her. I brushed the hair back off of her face and rubbed her back until she began stirring in my arms.

"Good morning, Love" I whispered when she looked up at me with those killer blue eyes.

"Mmm...morning, Finn" she replied as she stretched.

"Did you sleep well?"

"The best. You may come home from Australia to find me completely sleep-deprived after not sharing a bed with you for a week" Rory admitted with a chuckle.

"Well, we'll just have to make the most of this weekend then, no?" I asked with a grin.

"That's the truth" she said. I was just about to tease her a bit more when she scooted up my body and kissed me chastely. "Gotta take advantage of the opportunity, right?" she teased before getting out of bed and walking off to the bathroom. The women had no idea what kind of effect she had on me, but that was probably a good thing.

I slowly got up from the bed and walked over to the phone to order two cups of coffee; I knew she would want one while she was getting ready. I slid on my pajama pants and sat reading the newspaper while Rory was in the shower, and our coffees were delivered just before she walked out. I had just shut the door to our suite and turned around with the coffees when she walked out of the bathroom, and my jaw dropped when I saw her.

"Sorry, I didn't grab any clothes," she said with a blush. She was standing there in a towel, her hair wet and no makeup on, and she looked gorgeous.

"No worries, Kitten. I uhh...I'll set your coffee over here and go jump in the shower" I stammered. I know we'd slept together so I'd seen her in less, but much of that night was fuzzy in my head thanks to the excessive amounts of alcohol we had consumed. I walked quickly into the bathroom and shut the door behind me, grateful that I'd shown some self-control for once in my life.

Rory's POV

"This is so beautiful" I breathed reverently as I looked around Central Park. We'd just have brunch at Tavern on the Green and were strolling through the park now.

"That it is, Love. Is there anything specific you want to do while we're here this weekend?"

"No, I'm good with whatever you have planned. I really just came to spend time with you" I replied. Somewhere along the way, I'd given up on pretending that I didn't enjoy our time together far more than I would have imagined.

I noticed he looked at me for a moment longer than usual - almost as if he wanted to say, or ask something, but then I noticed his expression was different, so he must have changed his mind. "Well, I'm glad you did, Rory. It's definitely the most fun I've had anticipating a work function" he said with a chuckle.

"I've been to the city before, but it's weird - it's almost like I'm seeing it for the first time today, sightseeing with you" I told him, looking up at him shyly, biting my lip.

"You'd better quit that" he teased, pretending to be unaffected, but I could tell he enjoyed me flirting with him.

"Oh? Why?" I asked him, acting as innocent as possible.

He just chuckled to himself. "You know why" he said with a smile, then he pulled me into his side, with his arm around me as we walked on.

We came up towards 5th Avenue, and he pulled me towards it. "Let's go this way" he suggested. I followed him curiously.

We passed high-end department store after high-end department store, looking into the windows - saying what we liked or didn't like about everything we saw. We stopped for a cup of coffee at a small vendor cart and took a seat on a bench. He wrapped his arm around me protectively, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Are you afraid someone's going to get me?" I teased him.

"Always" he whispered, kissing me on top of my head.

We sat there and watched the people hustle and bustle around, trying to make their last minute selections for gifts before Christmas. We made up stories about who we thought each person was, what they did for a living, who they were buying for, and the like. I don't think I've ever had a better day, and we weren't even really doing anything monumental.

We finished our coffee and he stood up, extending his hand for me to take. I put mine in his, and he led me a little ways further down the street, until we came up to Rockefeller Center and the ice skating rink. "You want to?" he asked, nodding towards the rink.

"I think my mom would kill me if I didn't" I teased.

"Come on then, let's go!" He said, leading me to the rental booth. He was happy, and enthusiastic, and I've never noticed just how much his eyes danced in the sun light. He always complimented my eyes, but his were stunning, as well.

I followed him to a place to sit and put our skates on, hoping my lack of coordination didn't embarrass me on the ice, but I knew we would have fun either way. We laced up our skates and he took my hand and led me out onto the ice. I hadn't ice skated in a few years, but fortunately it was much like riding a bike.

We skated slowly around the rink, laughing as we wobbled and held onto each other.

"Careful there, Love. We can't have you falling on the little ones" he teased as I almost lost my balance.

"Somehow, I have a feeling you'd catch me if I fell" I whispered.

Finn looked Rory into the eyes, his face showing just how serious he was. "Always, baby" he said softly.


	46. Chapter 46

Finn's POV

I was buzzing around the room making certain that everything was in place for the company Christmas gala. I'd just come back from a quick business meeting with some of our upper management and was anxious to get the night underway. I'd sent Rory for a prenatal massage and to have her hair and makeup done, but I was ready to have her back by my side. I took one last look around the room and nodded my approval - everything was ready to go. We invited some of our biggest clients to this event as well, so it all had to be perfect.

I straightened my tie and buttoned my jacket, looking for Rory as I did. She should be here any moment, and I was looking forward to seeing her. She'd told me nothing about the dress other than that she thought I would love it, but my curiosity was peaked. I grabbed a champagne flute from a passing waiter and walked over to the corner where I'd ensured there was a continual supply of sparkling grape juice for Rory and anyone else who wanted to toast with a non-alcoholic drink.

I turned back toward the door and caught a glance of her. My breath caught in my throat as I took her in. She looked stunning - she'd absolutely found a dress that would render me speechless, although she had a tendency to do that even in jeans and a t-shirt. I took a few steps in her direction and her eyes met mine across the room. It was as though time stopped for a moment. She caught me staring at her and smiled and blushed shyly. It's unreal how something so innocent can be such a turn on.

She walked toward me, our eyes never losing contact, and I finally regained use of my vocabulary.

"You look...wow. You're amazingly stunning, baby" I stammered when we met in the middle of the room.

She twirled around and grinned at me. "You like?" she asked flirtatiously.

"No, I love it. You are going to be the most gorgeous woman in this room" I assured her.

"Even with the baby bump?"

"Especially with the baby bump" I whispered.

I reached down and rubbed her slightly-rounded abdomen and then pulled her into my arms and kissed her forehead. "Thank you for coming here with me tonight" I said softly.

"Thank you for asking me. I'm excited to be your date for the night" she replied. She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed my jawline quickly before moving back. "So, I assume we need to work the room?" she asked.

"Unfortunately, we do. You sure you're up for it?" I asked.

"I'm up for whatever you need from me tonight" she whispered. "Lead the way."

I swallowed hard at her unintended innuendo - or was it intentional? This was neither the time nor the place to think that over. I snapped out of it and took her hand, leading her to Mum and Dad. They had wanted to ensure they got to see Rory.

"Mum, Dad" I greeted them. "I found my lovely date for the evening."

"Oh, Rory! You look just beautiful" Annie said excitedly. "Doesn't she look gorgeous, Nick?"

"Indeed she does. You'd better keep her close tonight, son. I wouldn't want someone else to try to steal the boss's date" Nick chuckled.

I laughed and tightened my arm around her waist. "No worries there, Dad. I'll make certain I keep one hand on her at all times" I teased.

"Oh, I'm sure you will. I hope you two enjoy the evening, and your weekend together in the City. Rory, we're thrilled that you're here" Nick said before turning his attention to an approaching group of men.

Rory turned to me and shot me a flirty look. "Think you need to keep one hand on me all night, huh?" she teased.

"I don't know if I need to, but I'm sure as hell going to" I said with a laugh.

She stepped close to me and wrapped her arms around my waist. "We can't have anyone else trying to steal your date, so it might be best" she whispered in my ear.

Damn, this woman was going to be the death of me, and I was going to love every single minute of it.

"No, we certainly can't have that" I said softly. I kissed her - a short, sweet kiss - and then led her off to another group of our executives.

"Gentlemen, having a good evening?" I asked as we approached them.

"It's a fantastic party, as always. Who is this lovely woman you're with, Finn?" our CIO, Shawn Marshall, asked.

"This beautiful lady is Rory Gilmore, and these are our two little ones that will make their debut in May" I said proudly, gently touching her bump.

"Well, congratulations. I didn't realize you were going to be a father" Shawn replied.

"Yes, I'm quite excited. Hopefully we'll find out what we're having on Monday at our appointment" I beamed as I took the last sip of my drink.

Rory immediately swooped in and took my empty glass. "I'll go grab you another" she said with a smile before walking away from the group. I smiled and thanked her - she was a wonderful support without even trying. I turned back to Shawn and watched as he stared at me awkwardly for a moment. I could tell he wanted to ask something, but I was willing to wait him out.

"I didn't realize you were seeing anyone…" Shawn hinted after Rory had walked off.

"Pardon?" I asked.

"Well, you're expecting with her, so obviously you're seeing her, but I hadn't realized you were dating anyone" Shawn tried again.

Just at that moment, Rory walked back up and handed me a fresh drink. "I didn't have to go far - I caught a waiter walking by" she said as she wrapped her arm around my waist and leaned into me.

"Thank you" I said, wondering how much she'd heard.

"Of course. I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" she said as she looked back and forth between Shawn and myself.

"I was just asking Finn about your relationship with him. I hadn't realized that he was seeing anyone" Shawn replied.

I shot Rory an apologetic look, hoping she wouldn't get spooked, but apparently she was well prepared for questions like this as a Gilmore. Before I could even speak, she jumped in.

"Well, Shawn, we'd been keeping things quiet between the two of us. With both of us being from influential Hartford families, we knew there would be a media free-for-all as soon as our relationship became public" she explained with her best society smile.

I smiled and cleared my throat. "Shawn, could you excuse us for a moment, please?" I asked.

Shawn nodded his agreement and I led Rory over to a quiet corner of the room. "You were amazing back there, Love. Thank you" I said gratefully.

Rory wrinkled up her nose and gave me a pouty look. "What's wrong?" I chuckled.

"I just think I liked it when you called me baby better. You call other people kitten or love, but I'm the only one you call baby" she explained.

"Well, _baby_ ," I chuckled, "thank you for jumping in there. You do realize that everyone here is going to think we're dating in the next five minutes, right?"

"Eh, let them think what they want to think. It's just easier to let them think that, with us expecting and all, than to try to explain the situation."

"And what is the situation?" I asked. I couldn't help myself.

"The situation...is that we both care about each other, right?" she asked. I nodded. "And we enjoy spending time together, and neither one of us is involved with someone else, right?" I nodded again. "And the CEO can't very well show off his baby momma, so for tonight, I am your adoring, doting girlfriend who will help you charm the entire room" she finished before reaching up and kissing me.


	47. Chapter 47

Finn's POV

I looked up across the room and I could see my mum's questioning looks from afar, and realized Rory and I had best tell them what was going on before they blew our cover.

"Come on, let's explain things before everything we've set up tonight becomes unraveled" I said with a laugh, leading her over to my parents.

"I just heard an interesting story, were you aware that the two of you were quietly dating? Because I sure wasn't under that impression at the start of the evening" Mum said, her eyebrows raised.

I laughed and nodded. "Well, what would you have rather me said? The truth?" I teased.

She shrugged. "So what sort of reaction should I have had to the news that my so-called 'playboy' of a son has settled down with one woman with babies on the way?" She asked me expectantly.

"Well, at least part of its true, so...sheer happiness?" I teased her.

"Well, luckily for you, I played along, and advised your father to do the same. Although a bit of a heads up would have been nice" she said with a smile.

"I know, we just got so wrapped up in the story that we forgot to cover our tracks. All is forgiven?" I asked with the million dollar smile that I knew my mother couldn't resist.

"Of course, but only if you promise to one day make it a reality" she said.

I was caught completely off guard by the comment, and all I could do was stammer and look to Rory nervously.

She laughed at the sight of me, and turned to my mum. "If he plays his cards right, maybe one day that could happen" she said, without missing a beat.

Mum smiled acceptingly, looking at me with a wink, and then she turned on her heels and walked away without another word.

"You know, for someone who's been around this your whole life, you really suck at the witty comebacks" Rory told me with a laugh.

I just shook my head and looked at her in disbelief. "You are absolutely unbelievable."

She shrugged. "I've been told that once or twice" she said, linking her arm around mine. "Let's find some hors d'oeuvres. I'm starving!"

After finding the table stocked full of just about every appetizer you could think of, Evie walked up to us.

"I didn't know you would be here" I said in surprise, hugging her, and kissing her on the cheek.

"I felt like coming when I found out you'd be bringing Rory" she said, and then she turned her attention over to the lovely lady beside me. "I wanted to apologize in person for some of the things I said at dinner the other night. Could you and I talk privately?" She asked.

I turned to her to make sure she was okay, and she nodded to me. I kissed her on the top of the head and walked away towards a group of guys from the Boston office.

"Finn! Hey! I've seen you all over the place tonight, man! How are you?" My second in command, and Branch Manager, Dylan greeted.

"Good, I'm good. It's been a great night. Are you guys having fun?" I asked the group.

"Nevermind that, who's the arm candy you've had with you all night? She's gorgeous!" Dylan said.

I smiled to myself and nodded. "That she is, Mate. That's my girl, Rory. We're actually having twins together, we just found out" I said happily.

"Wait - _what_? You're joking, right?" Dylan asked.

"No, I'm absolutely serious. She and I go way back, but things have gotten serious between us, and now we're expecting. She's amazing" I said, taking a sip of my drink.

"I can't believe I didn't know you were with anyone - you've _never_ been with anyone…" he said in surprise.

I nodded again. "That's true. What can I say? She's worth settling down for. You don't let a woman like Rory Gilmore get away. And this whole being a dad - thing - I'm actually really excited about it" I told him.

"Well of course it's easy for a dad to enjoy it. The mom and the nanny take care of the kids, you're just there for the stuff you want to be there for" Dylan said.

I looked at him for a moment before shaking my head. "No, I mean like I'm actually excited. Besides, we've decided not to hire a nanny" I told him.

"That poor girl needs some help, man. You can't expect her to do everything, can you?" Dylan asked.

"Of course not! No, she and I are a team. I'm going to be putting in just as much time and energy into these babies as she is" I told him.

Dylan laughed. "That's just because you're a first time dad. You say that now, but you'll be singing a different tune as soon as you've been woken up and sleep deprived in the first week" he assured me.

"I don't think so, Mate, but hey, I'm going to go catch up with Rory, you know, make sure Evie's playing nice" I said with a laugh.

"Ahh, what I wouldn't give for one night with E-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Mate. And maybe lay off the champagne a while" I said, walking away.

"So, what are my two favorite ladies talking about?" I asked, walking back over to Rory and Evie.

"Finn, your sister is amazing. She's so much fun. I also mentioned to her that I might be in the market for an interior designer soon, and she wants to come see the house in Hartford!" Rory told me.

Seeing them get along was an amazing feeling. Evie was one of my closest confidants - if she and Rory didn't get along, it wouldn't necessarily mean things wouldn't work out between us, but it would make things so much more difficult.

"And you? You're behaving yourself?" I asked Evie pointedly.

"Of course! I'm disappointed you would even ask such a thing!" She said in mock offense.

I looked at her with a raised eyebrow and she caved.

"Okay, I know I can be mean sometimes, but I promise, I was nothing but nice to Rory. She is actually a sweet girl, and I can see why you love her so much" she said.

I looked at her with so many emotions running through me - anger, surprise, embarrassment - all the while hoping Rory hadn't caught on to what she said.

As soon as she said it, though, she brought her hand up to her mouth, telling on herself that she had done something wrong. I rolled my eyes. There was no hiding it now.

I looked at Rory whose eyes were the size of saucers - great. She hadn't missed it. "Okay, I think it's time that we go out and cool off for a bit" I said, taking Rory and leading her out onto the balcony, not even realizing how cold it would be and that she would be freezing out there.

"Hey, I'm - really sorry about what she said. She should've known better than to say something like that" I said, trying to apply some sort of damage control to the situation.

She hugged herself tightly and shivered. "Did she mean what she said, though?" She asked in a small voice.

I sighed and ran my hand across my face trying to keep my composure. "Yeah… she said it, because I had told her I do. Her, my parents, her husband, my nephews… they all heard it. I said it right after you went to the bathroom at dinner when Evie kind of ganged up on you" I admitted.

Rory just stood there, and I couldn't tell whether she was going to hit me or hug me. I watched as I searched her face for an answer, but she was in shock.

"This doesn't change anything, everything is absolutely the same!" I tried to tell her.

She laughed slightly. "No, it's definitely not the same" she whispered, turning to look over the city skyline.

Shit! I wanted to kick Evie so hard right now. If she's ruined this - if this is what drives Rory away - what the hell was I going to do!?

"I'm so sorry, Rory. Please don't let this change anything" I pleaded.

"You don't want it to?" She asked, turning back around to face me, questions riddled in her eyes.

"No, I don't want things to change between us, things have been so amazing" I whispered, pleadingly. I felt like she was slipping through my fingers.

Then, all of a sudden, her bright blue eyes seemed clear, the questions were gone, the uncertainty had faded away. Now it was my turn to question what that meant. Before I could think too much about it, I felt her lips on mine. I wanted to cry, there was so much emotion in that kiss. I never in my life thought I could feel so much for one person - or in this case, three. They were my whole world.

"Tell me?" She whispered.

I looked at her in confusion, but then realized what she meant, and smiled slightly. "I love you, baby"

She looked up and smiled, then she started laughing to herself. I looked at her for a second in confusion, and then I realized it was snowing. "Good things always happen when it snows, Finn!" She exclaimed, rushing back into my arms and kissing me again.


	48. Chapter 48

Rory's POV

Finn and I had finally come back in from the balcony after I'd gotten cold. My mind was on what he'd said to me as he led me out onto the dance floor and pulled me into his arms. I wrapped my arms around him and laid my head on his chest as I processed this new information. He loved me. I knew for certain that he'd never used those words with another woman. I cared about him, but saying those three words scared me. The last time I'd fallen in love had ended disastrously.

He pulled me closer to him and I looked up into his eyes. I may not be ready to put a name on what I felt yet, but I knew that I hadn't felt this happy and complete in far too long. As we swayed together, lost in our own little world, I smiled when I heard the words to the song.

 _I'll wake you up with some breakfast in bed_

 _I'll bring you coffee with a kiss on your head_

 _And I'll take the kids to school_

 _Wave them goodbye_

 _And I'll thank my lucky stars for that night_

Finn smiled at me and kissed my forehead as he quietly sang the lyrics to me, and I couldn't help but melt.

 _When you looked over your shoulder_

 _For a minute, I forget that I'm older_

 _I wanna dance with you right now_

 _Oh, and you look as beautiful as ever_

 _And I swear that everyday you'll get better_

 _You make me feel this way somehow_

He reached down and placed his finger under my chin, tipping my face up so I was looking into his eyes as he continued singing.

 _I'm so in love with you_

 _And I hope you know_

 _Darling your love is more than worth its weight in gold_

 _We've come so far my dear_

 _Look how we've grown_

 _And I wanna stay with you until we're grey and old_

 _Just say you won't let go_

 _Just say you won't let go_

I pressed my body in close to his, not wanting to lose this moment, this intimacy. At that moment, Finn was the only thing I needed in the world. I closed my eyes and relished the feeling of being in his arms. I couldn't help but think that it felt like I was where I belong.

 _I wanna live with you_

 _Even when we're ghosts_

 _'Cause you were always there for me when I needed you most_

 _I'm gonna love you till_

 _My lungs give out_

 _I promise till death we part like in our vows_

 _So I wrote this song for you, now everybody knows_

 _'Cause now it's just you and me till we're grey and old_

 _Just say you won't let go_

 _Just say you won't let go_

 _Just say you won't let go_

 _Oh, just say you won't let go_

The song ended, but I still wasn't ready to let go of him. I wanted - no, really, I needed - more of him. We'd been dancing around each other, flirting with more, but at this moment I was overwhelmed by my desire for him. I knew that this was the point of no return for us. If I walked down this path, things would be changed forever, whether or not we put a name to what we were, and whether or not it happened again. I took in a deep breath and looked up at him.

"Hey, Finn?"

"Yes, baby?" he asked lovingly. God, I loved it when he called me that. It made me melt.

"I think…I think I'm ready to go upstairs and lie down. It's been a long day" I finally said.

"Yeah, sure. Are you feeling okay?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

"I'm absolutely perfect" I said with a smile.

"Good. Let's go then."

He took my hand and we said our goodbyes as we made our way out of the ballroom and toward the elevators. My heart was beating double time, but I'd never felt so certain of anything in my life. We walked into our suite and I put the Do Not Disturb sign out while he shrugged his jacket and tie off and slipped out of his shoes.

As I stood there and looked at him, I was completely overwhelmed by my emotions. Sure, they were everywhere because of all of the pregnancy hormones coursing through my body, but this wasn't hormone overload. I walked over to Finn and wrapped my arms around him tightly.

"You okay there?" he asked with a laugh.

"Yeah, just enjoying my new favorite place" I whispered. We stood there silently holding each other and finally I spoke. "You know that I really do care about you, right?" I asked quietly, looking him in the eyes. "I can't...love is something that scares me, Finn. I'm terrified of losing whatever this is between us, but please don't doubt that you're so important to me. I feel like words are failing me for the first time in my life."

"Hey, look at me, baby" he said firmly. I held his gaze and he continued. "I don't want you to feel like you need to say anything just because you know how I feel now, okay? In fact, I don't want you to say it - not right now, not unless you're completely certain. But I do know that you care about me, Rory. It's obvious in the way you look at me, and the way you touch me. And for now, that's more than enough" Finn said emotionally.

I exhaled a breath I hadn't realized that I was holding and smiled up at him. "Thank you, Finn. For loving me, for respecting me, for taking care of me. Just...thank you" I choked out. This moment felt so much more intimate than anything I'd ever experienced.

"I'm just doing what comes naturally, Rory" he replied tenderly.

Unable to deny myself what I craved so badly anymore, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him, putting every emotion that I felt into the kiss. I was desperate for him to understand what I felt, even if I couldn't put it into words. He moved his hands to my hips and pulled me flush against him, and I couldn't help but moan at the contact. I reached up and started unbuttoning his shirt and then ran my fingers over his chiseled chest and abs after I'd slid it off of his shoulders.

I knew that if this was going to happen, I was going to have to be the one who initiated it. I'd never wanted anything so badly in my life. I stepped back from him and reached back to unzip my dress.

"Rory, baby, not that I don't want you, because my god, I do, but what's going on here?" he asked huskily.

"I just...I can't tell you how I feel - I don't even know what words to use - but I can show you how I feel, and that's what I want to do, Finn. I need you to make love to me, please. I need to stop thinking and just feel. Please, Finn" I pleaded.

Finn looked at me for a moment and then took a step forward and pulled me into his arms and kissed me hungrily. It was the most mind-blowing kiss of my entire life. It was as though my plea had unleashed a tidal wave of emotions. I closed my eyes and lost myself in his touch as he kissed my neck and slid my dress off of my shoulders. I was feeling things that I had never felt before. He picked me up and carried me into the bedroom, and before I knew it he had slipped out of the rest of his clothes and joined me in the bed.

He began kissing his way down my body, causing the most delicious sensations. "I..love...you...baby" he whispered, each word punctuated by a kiss.

"Please, Finn. I need you" I begged.

He slid back up my body and looked deep into my eyes. He finally kissed me passionately, and then at last we were one. It was raw and real and more than I could have ever dreamed. The emotional connection we were experiencing was unreal.

I could hear the shaky, shallow breaths he was taking, and feel the heat of his breath on my neck, and I closed my eyes taking it all in. All of my senses were on fire, and I've never felt so alive.

I couldn't hold back what he was doing to me, I dug my nails into his back, breathing deeper, and let go, falling apart underneath him.

I was right. This is exactly where I belong.


	49. Chapter 49

Rory's POV

"Are you okay?" Finn whispered, wrapping his arms tighter around me, and peppering kisses along my shoulder and collarbone.

I breathed in deeply and smiled. "Yeah, are _you_?" I asked, turning to face him, putting my hand gently on his face.

He smiled and rested his head up against my forehead. "Do you even have to ask?" He asked with a chuckle.

"Well, maybe" I teased in a whisper and he held me like he never wanted to let me go.

"I can't describe how I feel, but I promise you, I am more than okay" he whispered in my ear.

I smiled involuntarily and cuddled in closer to his bare chest. "That was so much better than the last time" I whispered.

He laughed and nodded. "So much better" he agreed, and then he looked at me, and could tell I was falling asleep in his arms.

"Get some sleep, baby. I love you, don't you ever doubt that, okay?" he whispered, kissing my forehead and holding me closer.

I just mumbled something back unintelligibly and drifted off to sleep.

Finn's POV

I couldn't believe what I was feeling. I woke up this morning, with an amazing woman in my arms, and a smile on my face. I was on cloud nine. I never really thought that would happen again for us, but it did, and it was - mind blowing. I couldn't put it into words even if I tried, I just knew how happy I was. I smiled to myself and nuzzled into her warmth, never wanting to let her go.

I opened my eyes again and she was gone - I must have fallen back to sleep, and now she wasn't there. Bathroom? The door was open and she wasn't there. All of a sudden a feeling of deja vu came back to me. Had she left!? Did we take things too far?

I raked my fingers through my hair trying to calm my panic. I got dressed quickly in pajama pants and a t-shirt, walking around the suite. I finally found her sitting in the living room area, all alone, on the couch. She didn't look as if she woke up feeling the same things I did this morning, and that worried me.

"What are you doing out here, Kitten? I was worried when I couldn't find you" I told her.

She shrugged. "I'm just thinking, and I didn't want to wake you" she said.

Wake me? She was as quiet as a damn mouse in here, I had no idea where she even was!

"Can we talk about what you've been thinking of?" I asked her, crossing the room and crouching down beside her, looking into her eyes.

I could see she had been crying. NO! Not this. Why the hell didn't I see past the passion of the night and realize how damaging this would be for us!? Why the hell didn't I stop it? Why did I go along with it!?

"I don't really even know what to say" she whispered.

I closed my eyes tightly. Truth be told, I wasn't sure I really wanted to hear what she had to say, but I couldn't just leave it alone.

" _Talk_ to me, baby. You can tell me anything" I promised her.

She took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm scared, Finn. I'm scared I screwed everything up. I'm scared I opened pandora's box and can't close it again" she whispered.

"How do you mean?" I asked cautiously.

"I'm afraid I'm just going to hurt you. You have so many beautiful feelings for me, and I want so badly to return them, but I'm just so scared to even try. I'm scared that things wouldn't work out, and you'd take off, and our children wouldn't have their father and it's all because I couldn't make you happy. I can't make anyone happy. I've learned that over and over again" she whispered.

I couldn't help but smile at her 'confession'. That the woman sitting here in front of me was convinced she couldn't make me happy, yet I've never been happier in my entire life, and that was all thanks solely to her.

"What?" She whispered cautiously, seeing my relieved reaction.

"Crazy girl, don't you know that I love you? I wouldn't dream of going nowhere. Silly woman, come here let me hold you. Have I told you lately, I love you like crazy, girl?"

"Did you seriously just quote a song?" She asked, I could hear amusement in her voice, finally.

"Did it work?" I asked her, pulling her into my arms.

"Maybe just a little bit" she whispered, I could hear the smile coming through.

"I'm serious, I'm not going anywhere. You could hate me with every fibre of your being and I would still be there for you and our babies. I love all three of you, and you truly are my whole world. I can't go back to the man I was before, and I love the man I've become with you. I never thought I'd be "this guy", but here I am, rocking it!" I said with a smile.

I tilted her face up to look at me. "I owe you my life, Rory, because you gave me one. Whether we are ever in a relationship, or if you just use me for casual sex" I paused for her to laugh. "I'm going to be here for you. No matter what, and for no matter what. I'm yours. I'm not going anywhere. You are worth settling down for - even if you're not the one who's ready to settle down" I promised her.

"I just don't want to hurt you" she whispered.

"The only way you could, is by shutting down from me altogether. I love things the way they've been, I've never had more fun with anyone in my entire life, and I don't ever plan to have anyone else. You're it for me, even if we're never 'really' together" I promised her.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and just held me, she didn't want to let me go. "And Finn? You could never be just casual sex for me" she promised.

I smiled at her words, and just wrapped my arms around her, too, and held her close. "Either way, I'm all yours" I promised her.

She squeezed me tighter and I held her as long as she needed me to, before she finally pulled away.

"I'm yours, too, Finn. Just not in the way either of us wants me to be - but maybe one day" she whispered.

"We'll deal with one day when it comes. Right now, I have everything I need" I promised her, and kissed her gently on the forehead.


	50. Chapter 50

Finn's POV

After our talk Sunday morning, Rory and I ordered room service for breakfast. I was relieved that things seemed to be less tense now, but I still felt as though I was holding my breath to ensure that we were going to be okay. We ate breakfast while talking about our day and then got ready and packed our bags so we could check out before heading out for our last day in Manhattan.

Rory walked into the room and I smiled. "You look beautiful, baby" I whispered as I hugged her. She was wearing a deep burgundy dress that accented her growing waistline. She looked relaxed and comfortable and gorgeous.

"Thank you. You look pretty handsome yourself" she replied with a smile.

We gathered our things next to the door and I called downstairs to have our luggage stored until we left for the airport tonight, and then we went downstairs to check out.

"Mum, Dad" I greeted my parents when we walked into the lobby.

"Good morning, you two. Did you have a nice night last night?" Dad asked with a raised eyebrow. I coughed and composed myself.

"It was an amazing evening, Nick" Rory cut in, smiling at me as she said it.

"That it was" I agreed. "I'll just go check us out and then we'll be ready to go."

I took care of business at the front desk and then Dad and I escorted our lovely ladies to the waiting car. It had gotten colder, and Mum preferred the warmth of a car over walking in New York in the middle of December. We all got into the car and I turned to my parents. We had made plans to spend our last day in Manhattan with them, but they didn't know the details of what I had planned.

"I made reservations at Nick & Stef's, and then we have tickets to see Elf at Madison Square at one o'clock. There's also a store I'd like to take Rory by while we're here, if you guys don't mind" I explained.

"Not at all. We're just delighted to spend the day with you two" Mum answered with a smile. "Last night certainly seemed to be a successful night, wouldn't you say?" she asked me.

I chuckled to myself but kept my composure outwardly. "Beyond my wildest dreams" I replied with a smile as I reached over and squeezed Rory's hand. She laid her head on my shoulder and I heard her sigh contentedly. "You okay there, baby?" I asked her.

"Yeah, just relaxing" she answered.

Dad nudged me with his foot and smiled at me. "I don't believe I've ever heard you call anyone 'baby', son. Is that a new nickname?" he smirked as he flicked his eyes toward mine and Rory's still-joined hands. I should have known that he would pick up on that.

"It is" I said quietly. "I happened to use that nickname a couple of times, and someone decided she prefers that to the old ones" I teased as I nudged her shoulder.

"Hey, I just like to be special!" Rory joked.

"Oh, trust me - you're definitely special" I said and I leaned down and kissed the top of her head. My parents were sitting across from us and looked like they were fighting to keep the smiles off of their faces.

We pulled up to the restaurant and Dad and I escorted the ladies inside, where we were quickly shown to our table.

"Shall we order a bottle of wine for the table? Rory, I'll be happy to order you something as well" my dad said, smiling at her. It meant a lot to me for my parents to like her as much as they did, and to want her to feel comfortable around them.

"I wouldn't mind some red, does that sound good to you two?" mum asked dad and I.

We both agreed and mum turned to Rory. "What would you like, dear? Get creative" she said.

"Oh, uhh… What was it I was drinking last night at the party, Finn?" Rory asked me.

"The bartender called it a grown-up Shirley Temple. It's got the grenadine, but it uses tonic water instead of Sprite and it also has lemon syrup in it." I told her.

"That was good, do you think they could make that for me here?" She asked.

"Of course, darling. We'll make sure of it" dad insisted.

At the same time of placing our drink orders, we also chose to order our starters.

"I'll have the Lobster Bisque, please" Mum said.

"And it'll be the Yellowfin Tuna Tartar for me, sir" Dad ordered.

"And for you, sir?" The waiter asked, turning to me.

"I'll have the Jumbo Lump Crabmeat Cakes" I told him.

"Miss?" The waiter asked.

"Umm… I suppose just the Classic Caesar Salad for me, please" she ordered. She wasn't used to 'fancy' dining, but I secretly hoped to change that. All that greasy diner food she eats can't be healthy!

"Of course, thank you" he said, walking away.

"I need to use the restroom. Please excuse me" Rory said, and left the table.

"So what do you guys really think about Rory? You like her?" I asked them.

"She seems like a lovely girl, Finn. I'm very happy to see you two getting closer" Mum said with a smile.

"Yeah, she's definitely one you want to make sure you 'Do Not Disturb' with, if you know what I mean?" Dad said, elbowing me playfully.

I looked at him in confusion. "What?"

"The sign, on your door last night. We saw it when we walked past to get to our own room" he said.

I chuckled lightly. I hadn't even known she'd put that out there. She was plotting it from the moment we walked in the door, the little minx. "Well, things are definitely progressing, although we're still not officially together" I said as vaguely as I could.

"You shag the girl you love but you won't commit to her? That's not how you win her over, Finnick" mum said. She never used my full name.

"Trust me. It's not me that needs to be won over. She's just scared and not ready, and I'm okay with that for now. I'll take what I can get" I told them.

Dad cleared his throat at the sight of Rory coming back to the table, signaling us to change topics. "So, Elf? What an interesting choice of plays" he said.

Annie's POV

We had finished our lunch, and gone to our play, and now we were heading back to the car from our last stop - Dean and Deluca where Finn showered Rory with more coffee to bring home than I could ever drink in a lifetime.

"Thank you for spending the day with us, Nick and Annie. I've really enjoyed getting to know you both better. I'm happy to say I think you are going to make amazing grandparents for these little ones" Rory said, as we were saying our goodbyes outside of the hotel.

"It was our pleasure, dear. Don't be a stranger" Nick told her as they embraced.

"You have been such a breath of fresh air, Rory. I'm so glad that my Finn has you to watch out for him these days. He's made some amazing changes I never thought I'd see in _my_ lifetime, but I owe it to you, and those little angels. Thank you for keeping him grounded, sweetheart" I said, hugging her.

She smiled at me and her eyes were dancing. I could see the love she had for my son radiating off of her, even if she wasn't ready to admit it.

"I do my best, but he's been the one watching out for me, I assure you" she said.

"The next time you're in Boston, we should get together, just the two of us and Evie. We'll have lunch, pedicures, and make it a girly day" I told her.

"I'd like that a lot" she said.

This girl. Yes. This girl was 'The One'.


	51. Chapter 51

Rory's POV

After sleeping in a bit, Finn and I took his car service back to Stars Hollow. We had flown to Boston Sunday evening and had spent a quiet night in, just enjoying each other's company. We were planning to have an early lunch with my mom before going to Hartford for our next appointment, where we would hopefully find out what we were having.

The car dropped us at the Crap Shack. We brought in our bags and we took the short walk to meet Mom at Luke's.

"Are you excited for our appointment today?" he asked me as we walked hand-in-hand into town.

"Yeah, I really am. It's just amazing to see our babies - it still seems a bit surreal that there are two of them in there," I replied with a laugh, rubbing my belly lightly.

"After I get back from Australia, we'll start working on the nurseries and getting things set up if you'd like?" he asked.

"Yeah, that would be really nice. I'm...I'm really going to miss you while you're gone" I whispered.

"You know, you don't have to miss me, baby" he said softly.

I looked at him quizzically. "You'd prefer I don't?" I teased.

"I'd prefer you didn't miss me because you were with me."

"You'd want me to come with you to spend Christmas with your family in Australia?" I asked, surprise evident in my voice.

"I would love for you to come with me. I've grown quite accustomed to seeing you; I don't know what I'll do without you for a week. I think you'd really love it there" he replied.

I thought for a minute as we neared the diner and finally broke the silence. "Finn, I would love to come with you, but I can't. My family's here, and I've promised Mom and Grandma that I'll spend Christmas with them. I think I'm going to be stuck missing you" I replied quietly.

"If you change your mind, just say the word and I'll bring you along happily, even if it's at the last minute or you decide after I've left" replied Finn.

I nodded to him and walked into the diner as he held the door open for me. Mom was already waiting at our favorite table and bounded over to us the minute we came in.

"My baby and her babies have arrived! And the Aussie daddy is here, too! How was your weekend?" she asked excitedly as she hugged us both. We followed her to the table and sat down.

"Our weekend was...amazing. Perfect, really" I said with a smile as Finn and I exchanged a look. He pulled me close to him and kissed my forehead.

"She's right - it was easily the best weekend of my life" he agreed.

"I sense there's more to this story, but we'll come back to that later" Mom said with a knowing look in her eyes. "So Finn, any big plans for Christmas?"

"Actually, I leave for Australia tomorrow. I'll be gone for a week, spending time with my family. It's a Morgan tradition. I tried to talk Rory and the littlest Gilmore-Morgans into coming with me, but it appears I'll be making the trip alone" he said, nudging me in the side lightly.

I was saved from the conversation by Luke walking over to our table and taking our orders, and soon we were back to chatting.

"So, Mom, Finn bought you some gourmet coffee beans at Dean and Deluca in New York" I said, hoping to distract from the conversation about Australia. It was a tempting offer, but I wasn't quite ready for that step.

"Ooh, I knew I loved you, Aussie! You certainly know how to treat your baby momma's momma" Mom teased, and Finn almost spit his coffee across the table.

"I'll look into getting that embroidered on a sweatshirt for you, Lorelai. It could say 'World's Greatest Baby Momma's Momma'" Finn joked.

"Somehow, I think I would do well to keep you two far away from each other" I deadpanned.

"That will be much harder to do once I move to Hartford, baby" Finn teased me.

"Wait, what?!" Mom squealed. "You're moving to Hartford?" she asked Finn.

Finn nodded his head and smiled. "Yeah, I want to be close to Rory and the babies, and I know that she wants to be close to you, so after the holidays I'll tie up some loose ends and transfer to the Hartford office. I don't want to be a part-time dad who only sees his kids on the weekends; I want to be there for every day of their lives."

Mom stared at Finn for a moment and smiled. "Well, I have to hand it to you, you've done an amazing job of accepting things. I think you're going to make a great dad, Finn. In fact, I think I really owe you an apology. When I first found out that you were the father of my grandbabies, I wasn't exactly your biggest fan. I was afraid that you wouldn't take things seriously, but it's quite obvious that I was wrong. I think Rory is lucky to have you. It's obvious that you care about her and those babies" Mom confessed.

"I love her and our little ones more than anything" Finn said, intertwining our hands together. He'd reminded me that he loved me several times over the weekend - it had almost become our thing - and I could tell he didn't even think before saying it around my mom. Her jaw dropped and she looked back and forth between us.

"Did you already know this, Sweets? Because you don't look surprised at all" she asked.

"Yeah, he told me Saturday night" I answered softly.

"And is this a good thing? I mean, you're not running, so it has to be, right?" Mom pressed.

"It is a good thing" I said, making eye contact with Finn. "We both know where we stand now. And I'm not running - I'm very happy" I confessed.

 _ **READER POLL: Rory and Finn are about to find out the gender of their babies! Leave a comment/review with your vote for what they're having! We'd also like to hear your name ideas, so leave those here as well! The big reveal will be tomorrow! CAST YOUR VOTES NOW!**_


	52. Chapter 52

Finn's POV

As we were walking into the doctor's office, I suddenly began to feel a little nervous. With any luck, we were going to know what our little ones were, and things would become even more real for us. I felt Rory's hand creep into mine as we walked through the door.

"You okay?" I asked her softly. She nodded to me with a smile.

"Yeah, just anxious, I guess. It's weird. I never wanted to find out the gender before, but now I can't wait. I want to know, so we can start daydreaming about them and what they'll be like" she said and I couldn't help but kiss her on the top of the head.

"Hi, Rory! Don't leave a sample today - we need a full bladder for your ultrasound. They'll have you leave your sample at the end today" the receptionist said.

"Thanks" she said, and she led me towards the waiting room where we took a seat by the inside door.

"You still thinking you want a little boy?" I asked her.

She nodded. "Yeah, I definitely want a boy" she said.

"A boy would be nice, but I don't know. I still think I would love a little Rory Jr" I told her.

She smiled and leaned her head on my shoulder while we waited, and I wrapped my arm around her.

"Truth be told, as long as they're healthy, I don't bloody care if they're kittens" I told her, making her laugh.

"I'm sure we would make some adorable kittens" she teased back with a smile.

The door opened and the nurse came out calling Rory's name.

"It's show time" I said, walking alongside her. She refused to let go of my hand.

They recorded her weight and led us to the ultrasound room, took her blood pressure and advised us that the ultrasound technician would be there in just a few moments.

Rory sat down on the table, I could tell she was nervous, but she smiled at me when she caught me staring. "What?" She asked.

"I'm just enjoying the moment. It's not everyday you get to find out the genders of the babies you're having with the woman you're in love with" I said.

She smiled, considering the truth in that, just as there was a knock on the door.

"Hi, I'm Shawna, I'll be doing your ultrasound today. So I heard one of your little ones didn't cooperate so well for you last time, huh?" She said.

"No, we've definitely got a flashy one and a shy one" Rory said.

"Well, I have in the notes what the first one was, so if they're different, I can tell you which one's the flashy one" Shawna said with a laugh.

She had Rory lie back on the chair and she turned off the lights. She then put some goo on her abdomen and rolled the wand over it until a picture came up.

"Now, if we don't find out the gender of one of them, do you still want to know what the other is, or do you want to wait again?" She asked to be sure.

"Well, we were sort of banking on them both cooperating this time" I said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I mean, I don't know - I guess let's just cross that bridge when we get to it?" Rory said.

"Well, this one must be our flashy one because it was really easy to tell. Now let's see if we can see what the other is" Shawna said, concentrating hard.

Rory was trying not to breathe, so it wouldn't interfere with the scan, and I couldn't help but chuckle. "You have to take a breath, baby, or you'll be passed out when she finds out" I teased her.

She let out a breath - I don't even think she realized he was holding it in. "Oh! That was good! That caused this one to move! I think… I might… be able to get the right angle… Yes! I know what they both are!" Shawna said excitedly.

Rory looked up to me happily and I couldn't stop smiling. "Well!? What is it!? Kittens!?" I asked and Rory laughed.

"Inside joke" she said with a laugh, when Shawna gave me a confused look.

"You ready to find out, baby?" I asked her and she nodded.

"You've got one of each, guys. A boy and a girl! Congratulations!" Shawna said happily.

I couldn't believe it! I was having a son _and_ a daughter! I must have been very good in a past life, because I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have them, and this beautiful woman carrying them.

"Wow! Can you believe it, Finn!? Are you happy!?" Rory asked with tears of joy in her eyes.

"I'm beyond ecstatic, baby" I promised her, grinning from ear to ear and then I turned to Shawna. "Okay, now this is important - which one was our little exhibitionist? Because if it was my daughter, we're going to have problems!"

Shawna chuckled. "It was your son" she assured me.

"Oh lord, he's going to be just like you!" Rory exclaimed with a laugh.

"Well, hopefully she's just like you, then" I said wishfully thinking.

"Do we have any names picked out yet?" Shawna asked.

"No, not yet. We haven't even talked about names yet, actually" Rory said.

"Looks like we'll have quite a lot to talk about tonight, won't we?" I asked her and she nodded. I don't think I've seen her quite this radiantly happy before. We were a family, a team. Two guys, two girls, and lots of love between us. I thought I was going to explode with all of the emotions running through me.

"I'm just going to take some more measurements for your growth scan, and then I'll get you set up with tons of pictures of your little ones, I promise" Shawna said.

I took Rory's hand in mine, and our eyes met. "I love you" I mouthed to her.

"Me too" she mouthed back. I knew it wasn't the same, but in the moment, it was everything. I couldn't wait to see how amazing we would be together someday.


	53. Chapter 53

Rory's POV

Finn and I walked into the Gilmore house in Hartford later that evening. I was planning to spend my first night there tonight. We had stopped for dinner on the way 'home', and now we were both looking forward to relaxing a little, letting our food settle. I flipped on the radio to break the silence before I detoured to the bedroom that I'd claimed as my own for the time being and changed into a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt, desperate to be comfortable. My changing body was making even everyday things seem foreign already, and I wasn't quite halfway there.

I walked back into the living room and sat down next to Finn on the couch, snuggling into his side. I always enjoyed being close to him, but something about knowing that he was leaving to go literally halfway across the world tomorrow made me desperate to keep keep him as close to me as possible.

"More comfortable now, baby?" he asked as he wrapped his arm around me.

"Much more comfortable." I sighed and laid my head on his chest. "I'm really going to miss this while you're gone," I said softly.

"I'm going to miss it, too. Don't forget that my offer stands," he reminded me.

"I won't," I promised. We sat in silence. "So, we have a son and a daughter," I continued, still getting used to the idea of knowing what we're having.

"We do. It's pretty incredible, isn't it? I never would have dreamed that one night together would have led us here."

I looked up at him and smiled. "I'm glad that it did, though. This is really good," I whispered.

"It's better than good," he agreed, kissing the top of my head. "So, I've been doing some new-daddy reading. I guess gender reveals are a big deal, no? Do we want to do something like that?"

"I don't know, I haven't really given it any thought. Maybe? Hey, listen! It's that song we danced to at the party" I told Finn.

He listened and nodded.

"I met you in the dark, you lit me up, you made me feel as though I was enough. We danced the night away, we drank too much. I held your hair back when you were throwing up. Then you smiled over your shoulder - for a minute, I was stone-cold sober. I pulled you closer to my chest."

"Yeah, that's the one" he agreed with a smile.

"And you asked me to stay over. I said, I already told ya I think that you should get some rest." Played in the background and his smile grew in anticipation of the next part of the song: "I knew I loved you then, but you'd never know 'cause I played it cool when I was scared of letting go. I know I needed you, but I never showed, but I wanna stay with you until we're grey and old. Just say you won't let go. Just say you won't let go."

"You like that song a lot" I teased him.

"Are you kidding me? Didn't you listen to it?" He asked as the song continued.

"Of course I did, silly" I said.

"Then you heard how perfect it is for us. I think that should be our song" he said.

"Our song? You want us to have a song?" I asked in surprise.

He just laughed and rolled his eyes. "I want us to have a lot more, but I'll settle for a song as a start" he whispered, looking deep into my eyes.

The breath caught in my throat as I nodded in agreement. "Then I love our song" I whispered.

"Good, because it's absolutely perfect for us, Love" he whispered.

He laughed at me pouting. "I can still call you the other nicknames, I just can't call anyone else 'baby'" he promised.

I laughed and nodded. "I know" I said with a smile.

"I can't believe I have to leave you here while I go across the world - and I really can't believe for the first time in my life, I almost wish I wasn't going" he whispered, the hurt very clear in his eyes.

"You have to go, they're your family" I reminded him.

"Rory, you're my family. You and our little ones. You're my whole world, and I can't even tell you how much I'm going to miss you this week" he whispered.

I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck, and I kissed him. "I'll miss you too, Finn. Like you wouldn't believe" I promised.

"I hate that you won't come with me. I know why you're not, and I respect that. But I really wish you would come" he whispered.

I nodded and laid my head on his chest. "I know, I wish I could, too. Trust me, this won't be my idea of a fun-filled week, either" I promised.

"Yeah right. You'll be partying, happy to be rid of me. Breaking my heart, no doubt" he teased.

I just shook my head and laughed. "So back to that gender reveal idea… is that something you _want_ to do?" I asked.

"I think it might be nice. I mean, I want to experience every part of becoming a family that we possibly can. It would be really nice to get our families and friends together to tell them what we're having. The beginning of the pregnancy must not have been easy for you, with my being an oblivious jerk and all, and I know that I wasn't in a good place then either. It would be nice to celebrate, because this is an amazing thing" he said, rubbing my belly. It had become one of his favorite things to do.

"That would be really nice…" I trailed off, lost in my own thoughts.

"Something on your mind, baby?" he asked.

"Yes. No. It's not important" I finally settled on.

"Anything that makes you wrinkle up your nose and look that serious is important" Finn chuckled.

"It's just...I was curious. Why weren't you in a good place? I've always wondered what was going on."

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, mentally collecting himself. "You know that I love you. The truth is, I've loved you for longer than I can remember. After our night together, when you started calling me, I assumed it was to tell me that it was a mistake. I couldn't handle hearing that from you, so I tried drowning my hurt by going back to my old ways. It didn't work - nothing made the pain go away. But I didn't know what else to do, so I just tried to numb it."

"I'm so sorry, Finn" I whispered, tears in my eyes. Stupid pregnancy hormones.

"Hey, you don't need to apologize. That was all me. You weren't calling to tell me that at all. In fact, you were calling to give me the best news I've ever gotten. I wouldn't change anything" he reassured me as I yawned. "Come on, let's try to get some sleep; you look exhausted."

"But I don't want to waste my time with you - there's not that much left before you leave," I whispered.

"You're not wasting your time with me. I'll hold you all night long, baby."


	54. Chapter 54

Rory's POV

I woke up to the darkness surrounding me, but Finn was true to his word - he was still holding me. I tried to ease out of his arms gently, but he pulled away when he noticed I was trying to get up. "Are you okay?" He whispered.

"Are you awake?" I asked in confusion.

He laughed softly. "Yeah, I couldn't sleep. Too much to think about" he said.

"Bad things?" I asked automatically.

"What on earth could possibly be bad in my life right now? I mean, sure, we're about to face hell-week, but after that it's back to normal" he said.

I touched his face gently, I could see it softly illuminated in the moonlight. "I have to go to the bathroom" I told him, and we both laughed at my words.

"Go on. I'll be here when you get back" he promised me.

I nodded and got up, walking out of the room.

A few moments later I walked back in and laid down on my back beside him, and he was on his side looking down over me. "So if it's not bad, why can't you sleep?" I asked him softly.

He shrugged and smiled. "I'm just excited, Ror. Everything in my life is changing, and for so many people that would be scary as hell, but I'm actually welcoming it. I can't wait. I want the next chapter to start _now_ , but _nooooo_ , I have to wait another few months before these little monsters get here" he said with a smile.

"I still can't believe there are two of them. Or that it's one of each. That's pretty lucky, if you ask me" I said.

He laughed. "Or perfect" he said.

"Definitely perfect" I agreed.

"You can go back to sleep if you want. I know you're probably exhausted. And I'll be okay, I'll just sleep on the plane" he said.

I shook my head. "I'm wide awake now" I said, cursing myself that a yawn escaped at the same time.

"Yeah, I see that" he teased.

"I just don't want to go back to sleep. I can sleep tomorrow, but tomorrow you'll be gone" I said.

"Well, then what do you want to do then while we're up?" He asked, raising an eyebrow teasingly.

I laughed and shook my head. "You're insane. I don't know. I kind of want to just talk" I said.

"About what?" He asked.

"What do you think they'll be like? What do you think their names should be? What do you think life will be like with them here? Do you think we'll be so stressed out we'll start taking things out on each other & resenting each other?" I asked.

"Whoa, take a deep breath there, baby" he chuckled. "Let's take it one question at a time, okay?"

I smiled and nodded as I scooted closer to him. "I seem to remember you promising to hold me all night" I teased.

"Well, I can't let my girl down, now can I?" he said with a laugh. He wrapped his arms around me and continued. "I think our daughter will be gorgeous and witty and smart, just like her mom. I think she'll be able to conquer the world if she wants to. And our son - well, if there's such thing as karma he'll probably be a bit more like me. We'll have our hands full with him."

"I'm going to pay for _your_ raising, aren't I?" I giggled.

"I'm afraid so, but we'll get through it together. I think having them here will be hard, and it will be exhausting and messy, but it will be so amazing. I can't imagine the first moment I hold them in my arms - a little bit of you and a little bit of me. That will be the best day of my life so far, no question. I know that having twins is going to be so much work, but we're equal partners in it. I'll be right there with you for all of the sleepless nights and fevers and milestones" he said passionately, and I could actually see the life he was talking about.

"It does sound pretty amazing" I whispered.

"We just have to keep communicating with each other about what we need and what we're feeling. There will be times when one of us will be at the end of our rope, and that's when we need each other more than anything."

"I'll always need you there, Finn" I said quietly. He kissed me gently and then continued.

"Have you thought any about names?" he asked.

"I have. I've mainly thought about names for our son. Wow, that still sounds weird - we have a son, and a daughter" I said in awe.

"Well, let's hear them."

"I really like Adam, or Keegan," I said, and I noticed the face he made. "Not a fan of those?" I asked.

"No, not really" he admitted.

"No pressure - there's more where those came from. I also liked Truman, or Nathan, or Liam."

"Nathan isn't bad. I really like Liam. What would his middle name be?" he asked.

"I chose the first name, you can choose the middle name" I replied.

"What about Liam Carter? Or Liam Brailyn?" he asked.

"I like Liam Brailyn" I agreed.

"Liam Brailyn Gilmore-Morgan. That's quite a big name for a little guy" he chuckled.

"Well, they are from two very prominent Hartford families" I replied in my best stuffy, society voice, and we both started laughing.

"I like it, though. It seems right" Finn said.

"What about our daughter? Do you have any name ideas for her?" I asked.

"I actually do. I thought about Reagan, or Daphne, or Jade. I also really like Brielle."

"Ooh, I love Brielle!" I exclaimed. "It's so feminine and beautiful."

"That is my favorite. So, if I picked Liam's middle name, you have to pick Brielle's" he said.

"Could it be Lorelai? I would kind of like to continue the tradition" I replied softly.

"Brielle Lorelai Gilmore-Morgan. Our poor kids when they're in kindergarten and have to write their names. But I like it" Finn agreed.

"Is that it? We have names?" I asked, amazed by how easy it had been to agree on something.

"I think we do, as long as you're good with them both."

I nodded and smiled. "I am. I really love them both" I whispered, looking over at the clock. It was nearing morning.

"I really love all three of you" Finn whispered, leaning down to kiss my belly.

"We really do, too" I admitted. He smiled at me, and I felt like I was going to burst from all of the emotions I was feeling. "We have to get up and get you ready to go to the airport soon" I whispered, trying not to cry. This was going to be so much harder than I thought.

"We still have a couple of hours, baby. Let's not be sad yet. We need to enjoy these last couple of hours together" he said, kissing me gently, but it quickly turned passionate. I closed my eyes and let his kiss overwhelm my senses. It was sweet and tender and full of need, all at the same time. "I just...I need to be as close to you as possible, baby. I don't know what I'm going to do without you for a week."

I melted as I heard his plea and returned his kiss with just as much emotion, unleashing a tidal wave in both of us.

"I need to make love to you, Ror" he whispered. I could hear the desperation in his voice, and I couldn't deny him, or myself, what we really wanted.

"I need that, too, Finn. Please" I begged. I pulled him over me and tangled my hands in his hair as I kissed him, trying to memorize every second with him to get me through this next week.


	55. Chapter 55

Finn's POV

I smiled as I looked over at Rory. She had insisted on driving me to the airport, despite the fact that I knew she was exhausted. She didn't want to spend a single second apart until I had to go through security, and I certainly wasn't going to argue. We'd made love this morning, and then we'd laid there in bed and held each other until the last possible minute. Now I was trying to wrap my head around how I was going to leave her for a week.

"So, we never really talked about it," I began softly. "What are your plans for this week while I'm gone?"

"Mom and Luke and I will go to Nantucket to spend Christmas with Grandma. Emily has been so excited when I talked to her, talking about decorating the tree and spending time together. She keeps going on about how much fun next Christmas will be when there are new great-grandbabies around for the holiday" Rory replied with a smile. It was obvious that she loved Christmas.

"I guess we'll have to figure out how to make things work for holidays soon, huh? I know that I'll still want to spend time with my family, and you'll want to see yours, but I don't want to split the kids up. I would like it if we could find a way to make our own new traditions as a new family while still spending time with the rest of our families as well" I thought out loud.

"You know, I hadn't really thought about that yet. It's a good thing we have a year to figure out next Christmas; Hartford and Australia couldn't be much further apart" she replied with a laugh.

"We'll figure it all out together, baby" I whispered as we pulled into the airport parking lot.

Rory pulled into a parking space and I grabbed my bag and took her hand to walk into the airport. I could see by the look on her face that she was trying to put on a brave face, but it wasn't quite working. It broke my heart to see her looking so sad because I was leaving, but at the same time it was so sweet.

I checked in at the self-service kiosk and then we walked toward security slowly, as though we were trying to delay my impending departure for as long as possible. We finally arrived at the checkpoint and I sat my bag at my feet and pulled her into my arms, hugging her tightly and resting my head on her shoulder.

"I'm going to miss you, Finn" she choked out. I could hear that she was fighting tears.

"I'm going to miss you, too, baby, but it's just a week. We'll talk and FaceTime every day while I'm gone. You could come to Boston and spend a couple of days with me when I get back, if you want?" I asked. "I'll be dying to see you by then."

She nodded her head and took in a shaky breath. "You know, I would really like that. I'm pretty sure I'll be going crazy by then."

We held each other for a bit longer and then I heard her start crying. I pulled back and wiped her tears and kissed her gently. "It's going to be okay, Ror. This week will be over before you know it" I tried to reassure her.

"I don't think I've ever hated the thought of Christmas week so much before. The three of us are going to miss you so much. I'm going to miss you so much, Finn" she whispered.

"I'm going to miss you three, and especially you" I said, looking at my watch. "I'm so sorry, baby, but I have to go or I'll miss my flight."

"Okay. Please stay safe and come home to me in one piece?"

"That's a promise. There will be no jumping off scaffolding or out of airplanes" I chuckled. "You take care of you three, okay? I need you all healthy when I come back."

"I will, I promise" she whispered. She looked at me and I could see that she wanted to say something but was hesitating. The look in her eyes told me everything that I needed to know, though.

"I love you, I love Brielle, and I love Liam. I'll call you as soon as I land, baby" I said, my heart breaking to say goodbye.

"We love you, too. Okay, this isn't going to get any easier. I'm just...I'm going to make myself let go or you may never get to Australia" she said with a small laugh. She stood up on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around my neck before kissing me passionately - a kiss I would certainly dream of at night for this next week while I was away. I wouldn't have believed that Rory Gilmore was kissing someone like this in public had I not experienced it myself.

"I love you, Ror. I'll see you soon" I whispered as we pulled apart. I kissed her on the forehead, picked up my bag and moved into the security line. After I'd cleared the checkpoint, I turned back to see her standing there, absolutely beautiful with tears in her eyes, and blew her one last kiss. This was going to be the hardest week of my life.

I walked into my empty apartment, and tossed my keys on the counter, taking my bag to my bed and tossing it down. I couldn't put my finger on what I was feeling - I knew I missed her already, but it felt like more than that somehow. I shook my head, shaking it off, and re-packed my carry-on bag.

My phone rang and I was disappointed it wasn't Rory, but I answered it on speaker. "Hey mum. Yeah, I just got home, doing a couple last minute things, and then I'll head on out to the airport" I said.

"You sound down, son. Couldn't convince her to come with you, huh?" She asked knowingly.

I chuckled at my mum's perceptiveness. "No, she has plans with her family and didn't want to cancel them last minute" I told her.

"Well, chin up. You'll see her next week and you'll be back to being inseparable again if I know the two of you" she said.

"I know. I just can't shake this feeling" I told her.

"You're not used to caring about anyone - let alone three someones, Finn. This will be a hard week for you, but you'll be just fine. It'll do you some good to experience this" she said.

"I guess you're right. But what if something happens to her, and I'm halfway across the world? I can't get to her in time" I said.

"You're over-thinking things, Finn. She'll be safe with her family, and if god forbid anything should happen, she'll be well taken care of until you could get there. Now finish what you're doing and I'll see you soon at the airport" she said.

"Okay, Mum. See you soon" I said, hanging up the phone.

I raked my fingers through my hair and sighed, deciding I was being silly, and finished with my carry-on.

I walked back into the Boston airport - I'd only left here an hour or so ago. I breezed through security and met up with my family by the gate.

"You look terrible!" Evie exclaimed when she saw me.

I laughed. "Thanks, I love you, too" I teased.

"Wow, this is really getting to you. Finn, she's going to be just fine while we're gone" Mum said.

"I don't think I've ever felt this before - it's like - I can't even explain what this feels like. I'm just terrified that something is going to happen while we're gone - and the closer it gets to getting on the plane, the stronger the feeling is. It's overwhelming and it's - almost hard to even breathe - what the hell is this!?" I exclaimed.

"You're making something out of nothing, Son. Stop worrying so much. She'll be fine" Dad said.

"You're just having some anxiety. It's - somewhat - normal" Evie said.

"It's like I told you on the phone, you've just never been close enough to a woman to worry so much about them. You'll soon see that it was just nerves and wasn't anything to get so upset over" Mum said.

I shook my head. "I just can't help but feel like it's more than that - I'm scared something serious is going to happen while I'm gone!" I insisted.

It had been six hours, and we were now in Los Angeles refueling for the long flight to Sydney.

"Mum, he's really not doing well" I could hear Evie say in the seat behind me.

"No, he's really not… but I don't know what to do for him… I mean, Rory will be just fine, and there's nothing we can do to convince him of that until we get back home - I'm just worried he'll be a wreck like this all week" Mum said.

Truth was, the feelings I was having, were only escalating. I've never felt so anxious in my life. My chest was getting heavier and my breathing was getting more and more rapid - if I didn't know better I would almost think I was having a heart attack.

"I think it's inevitable - he's going to be a mess until he sees her again" Evie said.

"So what do we do?" Mum asked.

"I don't know if we should have him call her to ease his mind a bit, or if we should even bother her with it - we don't want to cause her any extra stress, right? That's the last thing she needs right now" Evie said.

"I think if there is anyone who can ease his mind, it's her…" Mum said.

Evie agreed, and she knelt down by my seat. "You know I could hear you two" I told her.

"You need to call her. We're worried about you. You don't have any experience coping with something like this and I don't want you to end up dying over Christmas - please call her" she said.

"And tell her what? I'm freaking out?" I asked with a laugh.

"Basically, yeah. Just tell her you want to make sure everything is okay. You just wanted to hear her voice again. Let her calm you down" she said.

I sighed. I agreed that I shouldn't be stressing her out right now, but I also agreed that if anyone could calm me down, it would be her. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and called her number, standing up and walking away from the rest of them for privacy.


	56. Chapter 56

Rory's POV

I hung up the phone and sighed deeply. I had talked to Finn the entire time until his plane left again, but it was awful. I've never heard him sound the way he sounded. It was really bothering him to be so far away from us, and he just sounded pitiful. I mean, it was definitely hard on me as well, but he just truly wasn't handling it well. His parents and Evie have been trying to tell him that it's just his nerves because he's never been in a situation to care about anyone before, and I tend to agree with that. I've had my fair share of long distance relationships, so while it still feels terrible, I guess I'm more used to it.

Wait, relationship? Is that what we have? Are Finn and I in a relationship? When? How? This is exactly what I was trying to avoid… I don't know when he became so important to me, but it was true - he really was important to me - and I hold him to the same level of importance of someone I was in a relationship with…

The idea freaked me out a little bit. It's something that happened so gradually, yet came out of nowhere. I knew he loved me, and I knew I liked the feeling that gave me, but did I love him? Was I ready for this?

"You ready to go, Sweets? It's a long trip to Nantucket" my mom said, breaking my thoughts.

I nodded and picked up my bags and Luke all but screamed at me to put them down. I looked at my mom and laughed in surprise. "He's become very protective in his grandfatherly role" Lorelai teased.

"I can see that!" I said with a laugh as I watched my mom struggle with her luggage, seeing as how Luke was now nowhere near to help her.

"Enjoy it while it lasts" she said, lugging the cases down the stairs with a laugh.

"Why are you doing that? I was coming right back, you don't need to be so impatient, Lorelai" Luke huffed and I couldn't help but laugh even more. I loved my insane family.

"So what did the Aussie want? Just couldn't go without hearing your beautiful voice?" Mom teased.

I shrugged. "He's just having a really hard time being away for a week, where it will take him an entire day to fly back to me if anything were to happen while he was gone. He's panicking a bit" I told her.

"Aww, but that's sweet though. Does he not realize you'll be fine? He has nothing to worry about" she said.

"We have all tried telling him, but he just won't hear it" I told her.

"He'll be okay once he's there, I'm sure" she said with a shrug, and then turned to fiddle with the radio.

"No! I'm driving, we listen to my music!" Luke said.

"But if you let me pick, I'll make it up to you later" she said, winking dramatically

I laughed and shook my head. Some things never change.

"There you all are! Come in, come in," Grandma said, greeting us warmly when we pulled into her driveway. It had been a long trip, between the drive and the ferry, and I was so grateful to be out of the car. "Rory, you look radiant. Pregnancy certainly agrees with you," she said, hugging me.

"Thank you, Grandma. I have to say, I love being pregnant so far" I replied.

"Well, it shows. Now, let's all go sit in the living room and catch up some."

Grandma ushered us in the house as Berta's family took our bags to our rooms. She already had a carafe of coffee and a carafe of cider waiting for us on the coffee table. She poured me a mug of cider and slid it my way.

"It's your favorite cider - I thought it would be a nice change for you" she said.

I took a drink and inhaled the aroma. It smelled as amazing as it tasted. "Thank you, Grandma. So, what's new with you?" I asked.

"I'm just excited to celebrate my first Christmas here with the family in my new home. I'm sure you have much more to tell. What's new with you and your growing family?" Grandma asked with a raised eyebrow and a smile.

"Well, the babies and I are doing wonderfully. I'm almost eighteen weeks along now. We just saw the doctor on Monday, and everything is on track. We found out what we're having and picked out names; Finn and I are planning to have a party to celebrate and share the news with our families and friends when he gets back to the States" I said with a smile, thinking back to Monday night. It had been a perfect night with him.

"And how is Finn?" Grandma asked.

I laughed and smiled, thinking about him. "He's...well, he's missing us while he's in Australia to celebrate the holiday with his family, and he isn't exactly handling it well. He's terrified that something is going to happen while he's gone and he won't be able to get back quickly enough."

"He sounds like he's really taken to being a father well. Is he taking good care of the three of you?" she asked.

"He really is. He's been so amazing still. I really miss him" I said quietly.

"They're pitiful - they're both moping around because they're not together. You'd think they were in love," my mom teased, and I instantly looked up at her like a deer in headlights. She watched my reaction and laughed. "Did I hit a nerve there, Sweets?"

"I think I'm going to leave you ladies to the girl talk" Luke said, excusing himself from our conversation. The minute he had walked out of the room, Mom was back at it.

"What don't I know, Ror?" she asked excitedly. I was wracking my brain trying to figure out how to answer when my phone rang, saving me from having the conversation at least for a bit.

"I have to take this - it's Finn. I'll be back" I said, excusing myself and walking to the bedroom I was staying in.

Lorelai's POV

Darn Finn's timing with his phone call. I was hoping I could get some information out of Rory, but the moment was gone now.

"How are things going with Finn and Rory?" my mom asked me with a knowing smile.

"There's no Finn and Rory, Mom. There's Finn and there's Rory, or at least that's what my daughter keeps telling me, although she's been strangely silent on the issue since she came back from their weekend in New York."

"Weekend in New York? What were they doing there?" she asked.

"He had his company Christmas party and invited her to come. They spent the weekend there and they refused to leave the one another until his flight left on Tuesday. She's told you how horribly he's coping with them being apart, but I've seen her. She's struggling with it, too. She misses him. He asked her to go to Australia with him for Christmas, but she told him that she needed to be with us," I replied.

"As much as I love to see my granddaughter, she certainly could have spent the holiday with him. Do you think there's something going on there?" asked Emily.

I thought for a minute, formulating my reply. "He loves her. I know that for certain" I answered, still trying to figure out what to say.

"Well, anyone could see that."

"Yes, but she knows. Actually, he's told her several times, and she lights up when he says it. Something happened in New York, and things have changed between the two of them. Rory's staying pretty tight-lipped about it. I don't know if they're together, but I keep thinking...it wouldn't be the worst thing if they were" I replied.

"Well, of course it wouldn't. They're having twins together and they are obviously crazy about each other. It would be a good thing" she insisted.

"You know, I think you're right. I just wish I knew where Rory's head was in all of this. I get the feeling that she's starting to realize that she wants to be with him, but she's just not quite there yet."

"Well, perhaps we can help her figure that out" Mom replied with a sly grin.


	57. Chapter 57

Evie's POV

We finally got off the plane after the long flight, and I'd never been so happy in my life to be back on solid ground. You might think it would be my children that were difficult to manage on the plane, but it was my brother. It was so adorably cute, but also heartbreaking. I'd never known him to be like this before.

The moment we disembarked the plane, he was on the phone calling to check on Rory while we all loaded up in the waiting limo that would take us to the house.

"He's not settling down any. In fact, I think he may be even worse than before we left" Mum said, watching him pace outside the car while he was on the phone.

"All these years I spent warning him not to get someone pregnant - who would have thought that would be what got him to grow up finally?!" Nick chuckled.

"I don't think it would be this way with anyone else. In fact, I'm certain of it. If it was any other women he'd be running scared, but with Rory he's picking out names and looking up ideas for a gender reveal party. She's turned him into a family man" I said, laughing at the irony of it all.

"Did he mention what they're having? I know they found out" Dad asked.

"Nope, he said that no one finds out until the celebration after we get back from Australia. Believe me, I tried to get him to tell me" I replied.

"Can someone please get him in the car? I don't want to sit here all day" Dad said impatiently.

"I'll go" I sighed. I got out of the car and walked over to Finn. I couldn't help but smile as I heard his conversation. He hadn't heard me walk up behind him.

"I just...I need to know that you guys are okay. I can't explain it, Ror, but I have a bad feeling. I love you guys so much, and I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you" he said through the phone.

I felt like I was intruding on a private moment, so I tapped him on the shoulder and motioned toward the car. He nodded to me and then turned away and finished his conversation quickly before rejoining me to walk toward the car.

"You doing okay there?" I asked. Honestly, while I thought everything was going to be fine, I was worried about him.

"I don't know, Evie. Hearing her voice helped a little, but I can't help this feeling of dread. I feel like I should have stayed with her" he replied. I could hear the panic in his voice.

"Come on, let's get you in the car and get you something to drink to help take the edge off" I said as I ushered him into the car. I poured him a scotch and handed it to him. "Here, drink it."

He looked at it wearily and finally took it and took a drink. "Just one won't hurt, I guess" he relented.

"What's wrong with Uncle Finn?" Nicky, my oldest asked.

"Uncle Finn is just missing someone that he loves a lot. You know how sometimes you have a nightmare and you're afraid that something's going to happen to Mommy and Daddy? That's kind of what's going on with Uncle Finn" I answered, trying to be vague. I didn't need the boys encouraging Finn's panicked state of mind.

"It will all be okay, Uncle Finn" Nicky said sweetly, reaching over to take Finn's hand.

"Thanks, buddy. You're the best help I could ask for" Finn said, finally snapping out of it, but it only lasted for a moment. Soon, he was back to running his hand through his hair and tapping his foot nervously.

We arrived at our grandparents' home where the entire family spends Christmas week together in one place. We walk in to say hello as the driver brings in our luggage.

"I need to call her" Finn says as we walk in, but I take his hand and look at him sternly.

"Finn, you just called her twenty minutes ago. Nothing has changed, other than seeing the family none of us has seen in a year. First things first, we go say hello, we go to our rooms to unpack and we come back down and socialize. Besides she's probably already asleep, Finn - or at least she should be! It's midnight!" I said.

"She didn't want to go to sleep until she knew I made it here to the house in one piece. I'll just call her when I go up and unpack. I hope they don't take too long to say hello…" he said.

"You will not cut them short. Don't ruin the week for everyone, Finn. I know you're freaking out, but the rest of us want to have a nice, relaxing week in paradise" I told him.

He nodded, but I have no idea if he would actually listen to me or not.

We greeted our grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who we haven't seen since last Christmastime. I couldn't help but notice Finn still anxiously, impatiently waiting to go upstairs, and our grandpa seemed to notice it, too.

"You okay there, Finn?" He asked him, eyeing him carefully.

"I'll be okay, I just need to make a phone call" he admitted.

"A phone call? You just got here! Can't you spend some time with your family for longer than a hug hello?" Our Uncle Steve asked.

"It's - it's a very important phone call, but as soon as I make it, I'll feel a bit better" Finn said.

Steve looked perplexed. I laughed slightly because I knew exactly where their minds all went. My brother, ladies and gentleman, as far as the rest of the family knew, he was still a playboy, and a partier, and guaranteed they think he's trying to contact a dealer of some sort.

"Here? Now!? You're going to ruin Christmas over this - addiction!?" Steve asked him, pulling him out of earshot of our grandparents, but I heard him.

"Addiction!?" Finn asked in confusion.

"Look, your parents may not realize what's going on, but I do, and you need rehab, son" Steve continued.

"Rehab?" Finn asked, still absolutely lost.

I walked over and laughed some more. "He's not strung out on drugs, Uncle Steve, he's strung out on a girl back home" I defended.

"A girl!? Finn?" Steve asked in utter shock.

I nodded. "Yeah, we all had about the same reaction. But he's in love with her, and he's afraid to be twenty-four hours away from her right now, he's terrified something bad is going to happen while he's gone, so he's been nuttier than a dang fruit bat since before we left Boston" I explained.

"Over a girl…? Finn…?" Steve asked.

I laughed again and Finn nodded. "She's pregnant. I guess Mum and Dad didn't announce that before we got here… I'm going to be a father, I'm having twins" Finn told him, and suddenly you could hear a pin drop. The entire room heard his announcement and were shocked and silent. Turns out it was more believable that he was on some sort of a drug binge.

"You're having babies!? You're going to be a daddy!?" Our grandma exclaimed.

"Yeah, and she's back home, she wasn't able to come with me, so that's why I need to call her - let her know I made it here safely, and make sure she's okay" he said.

"Well by all means, honey! Go! Call!" Grandma said.

"Thank you, Grandma!" He said, running up the stairs to his room.


	58. Chapter 58

Rory's POV

I woke up the next morning and I was still exhausted. I'd barely slept all night. I couldn't seem to get comfortable sleeping without Finn there with me, especially knowing he was so far away. I missed him so much more than I thought I would. I knew I would miss him like crazy, but this was unbearable.

Seeing as how I knew I was up for the day, and sleep was evading me anyhow, I got up and walked down to the kitchen where Berta had coffee readily made in anticipation for my mom and I.

"Hey, you're up early. Everything okay?" Luke asked, walking in and sitting beside me at the bar.

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep well at all last night. The bed was so comfortable, and I was so tired, but I just couldn't sleep" I muttered bitterly.

He laughed. "Careful, you're going to start sounding like you're actually blood related to me soon" he teased.

I smiled. "Meh, there are worse things" I said with a slight laugh.

"So I overheard your mom and grandma talking last night. About that Finn. What's going on there? Is it getting serious?" He asked.

I looked up at him in surprise. Normally he didn't want any part of the gossip.

He laughed at the look on my face. "I'm not spying for your mom, I'm legitimately asking. I could tell you guys seem to really care about each other" he said.

"I do care about him. A lot, actually. Way more than I ever meant to. To tell you the truth, I'm worried about what that means. He's told me he loves me, Luke. And for once, I'm not running away. It scares me, but I'm not running" I said.

"Well, do you think that means you love him, too?" He asked.

I shrugged. "I think I do. No. I know I do. I just can't bring myself to say the words - even to myself. What if we try to be together and then break up? What if we end up like my parents?" I asked him, my eyes pleading for answers that I was pretty sure he couldn't give.

"Look. What happened with your mom and Christopher is way different. They were sixteen years old, their parents were pressuring them to get married, and your mother was bound and determined to do whatever she could to piss off your grandma. None of that applies here. I don't doubt that Chris and Lorelai thought they loved each other at some point, but I'm not sure they were ever really 'in love' like I am with your mother, or like Finn is with you" he said.

I looked up at him again in surprise.

"Look, I'm not the best person to talk to about stuff like this, but I love you like you're my own daughter, and I want what's best for you. I've seen you with some real dirtbags, and I've seen you alone. And then there's Finn. When you're with him, you're different. Good different. You're radiant and your smiles are genuine and your laughter is free. I don't want to sound too much like a damn Hallmark card, but I really think you should give this guy a chance, Ror. I think he could be really good for you" he said.

"So you think I should tell him I love him?" I asked.

"I think there's no good reason not to, Rory. I think you need to do what you think is right - but I think it's him" he said.

I smiled and nodded. "Thank you" I whispered.

Mom and Grandma walked into the kitchen a little while later, and Mom sat down beside me in the seat Luke had left vacant.

"We need to talk, kid" she said.

"So he was a spy for you!?" I said in mock surprise.

"No, but I overheard your conversation. You need to go to him, Rory. You're both miserable. Grandma and I both agree, you need to be with him, not with us, this year."

I looked up at Grandma who nodded her approval.

"It's so painfully obvious that you two belong together, Rory. Torturing yourselves by being halfway across the world from each other is just absurd!" She said.

"You guys are really okay with me going?" I asked.

"Absolutely. Go call him. Get it all planned out. Get out of here as soon as you possibly can!" Mom said.

I smiled big, hugged them both, and ran back up to my room. But I didn't call Finn, I sent a text message first.

Evie's POV

Finn had relaxed a bit after calling Rory again to check on her, but he was still on edge. Still, he was making an effort to be social. He was distracted until Grandma asked him about Rory, and suddenly his face lit up as he began telling everyone about her.

"Finn, dear, tell us all about this lovely woman and what's new in your life - it seems we have a lot of catching up to do" Grandma said as we were all sitting in the living room.

"She's amazing. She's beautiful, and she has these blue eyes that see right through you. She's smart and funny, and she's just...incredible, really" he said, blushing lightly as he saw everyone watching him with rapt attention.

"And about these babies - when are you two due? What are you having?" Grandma asked again.

"We're due in late May, and we just found out what we're having on Monday, but we're not sharing that news yet. We're going to have a celebration after Christmas; I'll make sure to Skype with you guys when we announce the genders and names. I do have some photos" Finn said proudly, pulling out his phone.

Everyone gathered around as he opened his camera roll.

"These are our little ones from Monday's ultrasound. We were just a few days over seventeen weeks here" he explained. He scrolled to the next photo and smiled as he saw it. "And this gorgeous woman is the mother of my children. This was taken last weekend in New York at the company Christmas gala."

"She's a beauty, Finn" Uncle Steve said.

"She really is. We'll be moving to Hartford soon so we can raise the babies together" Finn shared, which instantly prompted a conversation about his and Rory's relationship status. I was pulled from my thoughts by my phone beeping and I looked down at my incoming text - it was from Rory.

 _Call me when you can get away from everyone. Please don't tell Finn - I just need to talk to you._

I excused myself and quickly walked into the bedroom we were staying in. I shut and locked and door and then dialed her number, and she answered instantly.

"Evie, hi! How are you?" she answered. It sounded like she was faring much better than Finn was.

"Hey, Rory. I didn't expect to hear from you. Is everything okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, everything is...well, I miss Finn like crazy, but everything makes sense now. He mentioned that I was welcome to come there for Christmas, and I really need to talk to him. I can't do this - I'm going crazy without him, Evie. Do you think you could help me make arrangements to get out there? It's really important - I have to tell him something, and I want to spend the week with him, too."

Finn had talked about how Rory could ramble, but this was the first time I'd heard it for myself.

"Yeah, I can absolutely help you get out here. I assume you want it to be a surprise?" I asked. Finn was going to flip out when he sees her here. Our extended family was in for a real treat seeing them together - they'd never believe how he was around her.

"Yeah, I do. I...I love him, Evie. I have to tell him; it can't wait any longer" she said softly.

"Oh my gosh, this is amazing! Can I assume that means that you want to start a relationship with him?" I asked excitedly.

"I really shouldn't tell you this before I tell him, but I feel like I'm going to burst. Yes. I mean, I think we've had a relationship already, but I wasn't ready to label it yet, but I need to be his, Evie. I didn't realize just how much I cared until he wasn't here."

"This is the best Christmas present he'll ever get! Let me make arrangements and I'll text them to you. Your secret is safe with me, Rory. I'll see you soon."


	59. Chapter 59

Rory's POV

I fidgeted nervously and looked at my watch for the hundredth time, waiting on the car that Evie had insisted on sending to take me to the airport. It was just as well that she'd sent a car, as my entire family was still back in Nantucket to celebrate the holiday. The last 48 hours had been a flurry of securing a visa, getting back to Stars Hollow, packing and preparing for the long flight to Australia. I'd been partially successful in keeping myself busy enough not to be completely overcome by nerves, but they were definitely still there.

I perked up as I heard the car pull up in the driveway, and I was coming down the stairs with my suitcase before the driver had even exited the car. He met me halfway and took my suitcase. He helped me into the car and we were on our way to the airport quickly. My anticipation was building with every mile that passed. I double-checked my purse and carry-on, a nervous habit that I'd picked up over the years, and shifted impatiently.

We arrived at the airport and the driver escorted me through to the private terminal, carrying my bags so I didn't have to. As soon as we entered the terminal, we were greeted by the pilot and I was whisked out to the waiting private jet. I'd never thought about the benefits of Evie insisting on sending their private jet for me, but it was definitely a nice treat.

I boarded the jet behind the pilot and looked around, taking in my surroundings. It was easy to see why Finn didn't mind traveling - this was a far cry from flying commercially. I made myself comfortable in one of the leather seats, propping my feet up, and took a book out of my bag.

"Miss Gilmore? There's a bit of a weather hold due to lightning, but we should be clear to take off in about fifteen minutes. Feel free to move about the cabin in the meantime," the flight attendant said.

"Oh, thank you so much. I'm good for here for right now," I said with a smile.

I looked back to my book and shifted uncomfortably in my seat. I'd been feeling some cramping all morning, and it had suddenly gotten sharper and more intense. I breathed through it for a few minutes, trying to stay calm, and finally excused myself to the restroom. I couldn't help but replay Finn's words in my head as I walked to the lavatory - his fear that something bad was going to happen. I tried to calm my nerves, reassuring myself in my head that everything was okay, but all the reassurances in the world wouldn't help me once I got into the restroom.

I froze as I looked down and saw blood - it was everywhere, and my heart stopped. I couldn't lose my babies. I began shaking and crying and bolted from the bathroom, running right into the flight attendant.

"Miss? Is everything okay?" she asked, noticing the panic in my eyes.

"My babies...I'm bleeding...help," I whispered before passing out.

Flight Attendant's POV

I panicked for a slight moment, but then my training kicked in. I immediately shouted to the pilot that the flight was aborted and I called Emergency Medical Services immediately after that. I knelt down beside her, she was losing so much blood. I tried to wake her up, with the assistance of the operator I still had on the line, but nothing was working.

I checked her pulse as I was instructed, she was still hanging in there, for now, but I had no idea for how long. The pilot came and checked on the situation, and opened the doors of the jet for the EMS team to come in easily.

"I need to call her emergency contacts, can you stay with her until help arrives?" I asked the pilot. He reluctantly agreed and came over to where I was sitting.

I pulled out my flight manifest and found the listed emergency contacts on it, calling the first number. A Lorelai Danes. I left a message since the call was not answered. The same with Christopher Hayden. No answer. There was another number I almost didn't call since it was Australia, but decided to anyway since the first two were failed attempts.

"Hi, is this Evie Bradley? This is Diane Nelson, the flight attendant on Ms. Gilmore's flight" I said.

Evie's POV

My face went pale when I heard who was calling. "Y-yes? Is there a problem, Diane?" I asked, cautiously.

I could see Finn's eyes on me - he didn't know who I was talking to, but he appeared concerned. Almost like he knew.

"I'm not exactly sure what's happening, but Ms. Gilmore is being rushed to the hospital, she's hemorrhaging blood, and is unconscious" the lady alerted me.

"Oh my god" I whispered, looking up at Finn and he could see it in my eyes.

"Th-thank you, Diane. We'll continue calling her mother and father. Thank you for calling" I said hanging up, trying to remain calm, but Finn wasn't having it.

"Rory?" He whispered.

I nodded and looked down.

"But - why would someone call you and not me? What's going on!?" He demanded.

"She was coming to surprise you, she didn't want me to tell you. She put me down as an emergency contact because she was taking our family jet. I don't know what's happening - I just know she's hemorrhaging blood and she's unconscious. They're rushing her to the hospital" I said softly.

Tears immediately came to his eyes as he jumped to the worst conclusion first.

"I can't lose them - either of them, Evie! I can't! I need to get to her, call the jet for me please" he begged.

"Finn, the jet is in Hartford. It's not here" I whispered, immediately realizing my mistake.

He ran his fingers through his hair and paced. "I don't care! I need to get the hell to Hartford! Please help me!" He yelled.

I nodded and pulled up flights on my phone immediately. "You need someone to go with you, you can't go by yourself!" I insisted.

"Then book two tickets, I don't fucking care, Evie! I knew it! I knew something was going to happen!" He yelled, sinking down with his head in his hands crying.

"You can't go, Evie. Stay with your boys for Christmas. I'll go with Finn" our mum said from the doorway. I don't know how much she's heard, but clearly enough to see the importance.

I nodded and booked two flights on the shortest possible flights I could get them on, and called the car service to rush them to the airport. "You go, I'll explain to everyone else" I told them, and they ran out the door with only the bare necessities.

I hoped to god for Finn's sake - and Rory's - that everything was going to be okay.


	60. Chapter 60

Lorelai's POV

"Oh my god, Luke, we have to get to Hartford immediately!" I said, dropping the phone to the ground.

"What? Why? What happened!?" He asked in concern.

"It's Rory. She's being rushed to the hospital, but I have no idea what's going on!" I exclaimed.

"Rory!? Is it the babies!?" My mother asked.

"I have no idea, I just know I need to get to her and we're five hours away!" I cried, tears welling up.

"Come on, we'll all go. I'll drive" Luke insisted, picking up my dropped phone and, ushering us out of the house.

"Finn! We need to call Finn!" I realized suddenly.

"You can call him on the way, let's go" he insisted and we scrambled to the car.

I shakily tried to find his number in my phone, but I was panicking so much that nothing on the screen in front of me was making any sense.

After what seemed like an eternity, I found his name and called.

"Hi, Lorelai? This is Annie, Finn's mother. I'm so sorry to be talking to you in this situation, but is Rory alright, dear?" She asked.

"I - I don't know, I just got a voicemail from the airport - I don't have any idea what's going on! I'm heading there now, but I'm five hours away from her!" I said panicking.

"My daughter, Evie, spoke to the flight attendant who called and we were told she was hemorrhaging blood, and had passed out. That's all we know. Finn and I are on our way back to the states now, our plane should take off at any moment, but we had to fly commercial since Evie had sent the family jet to pick Rory up. It's still in Hartford now" she said.

"Where is Finn? Is he okay? Rory told me how freaked out he was before, I'm sure he's running rampant now!" I said.

"I had to slip Finn something for the stress. He's sleeping like a baby now. By the time we get to LA he'll be back to his anxious self, but by then, we'll only have six hours left to go" she said.

"I can't imagine what he must be feeling. I'm a wreck, and they're my grand babies, but he's been so good to her. He doesn't deserve to go through this, I'm glad he has you there with him" I said.

"I know how you feel, Lorelai. Afterall, they're my grand babies, too" she said with a smile in her voice.

"I suppose they are. Alright, well, I'm going to try to call all of the hospitals in Hartford until I find the right one. I don't suppose you'll get any service while you fly?" I asked.

"No, unfortunately not commercially, but I will have Finn check his messages the second we land in LA" she said.

"I have a feeling you won't have to remind him" I said with a slight laugh. I excused myself from the call and hung up, immediately googling phone numbers to hospitals in the Hartford area.

Christopher's POV

I made it to the hospital in record time coming straight from my office. I didn't know much about what was going on, just that my daughter needed me.

"Rory - or Lorelai, actually - Gilmore! She's my daughter, I need to see her! Where is she? What's happening?" I demanded at the information desk.

The docent looked up at me in shock as I barreled in and demanded attention. "Uh, ah, is she a patient?" She stammered.

"She was brought in by ambulance, but she isn't in the emergency department because she's pregnant - they said she's likely in labor and delivery and I don't know where that is! I need help finding my daughter!" I insisted.

"Let me make a phone call, just a moment, sir" she said, and her voice was quiet. I half expected her to be calling security on me, as belligerent as I was, but when she hung up the phone, she turned to me and smiled. "Good news, sir. She is in our labor and delivery department. If you take those elevators there to the second floor, make a left when you come out, and another left at the desk, you'll see a set of double doors. Follow those and check in at the nurses station. They'll be able to help you from there."

"Elevator, second floor, two lefts, double doors, nurses station. Got it!" I said, walking off quickly.

I finally made it upstairs after riding in the slowest elevator known to man. I turned to my right & remembered it was two lefts. I found the double doors, went through them, and found the nurses station ahead of me.

"Can I help you, sir?" A nurse asked.

"Yes, please help me. I'm looking for my daughter, Lorelai Gilmore, goes by Rory. I was told she was hemorrhaging and unconscious. I need to see her, please!" I begged.

"She's still out of it, but they've gotten the bleeding to a minimum now. They've been running some tests since she got here trying to find out what caused this. She and the babies are hooked up to monitors, and so far so good. Both babies have strong heart beats. Let's just hope it stays that way" she explained, leading him to her room.

I walked into the room and my heart broke when I saw my baby girl laying there in the bed. She looked so frail and lifeless, probably from the blood loss and the trauma she had been through. I walked over to her bed and sat down next to her, taking her hand in mine. She was sleeping soundly, just as the nurse had said, so I took out my phone and called Lorelai. I had promised her that I would call the minute I had any information. After briefing her, I called and left Finn a message as well. I couldn't imagine how he was feeling right now - how he was coping with worrying about Rory and his babies while he was on a plane back to the States.

Rory slowly began to stir, and I sat up and held her hand more tightly.

"Daddy?" she asked, her voice heavy with sleep. She sounded so weak.

"I'm here, Ror. Take it easy, okay? We need to keep you and these kiddos safe, and that means keeping you as calm as possible" I told her, trying to make sure she didn't panic.

"I have to call Finn" she said, looking around her for her cell phone.

"Finn has been called, and he's on a plane somewhere between Sydney and LA right now, along with his mom. Your mom, Luke and Emily are also on their way here from Nantucket. The only thing you need to worry about is taking care of you and your little ones" I told her firmly.

"Are the babies okay?" she asked, tearing up.

I stroked her hair reassuringly. "So far, they both still look good. They're trying to figure out what's going on. Want me to get the doctor?"

"Please" she replied, pleading with me.


	61. Chapter 61

Lorelai's POV

"I need to see my baby!" I exclaimed, walking through the door to her room. Thankfully, Chris had given me directions so I didn't have to deal with trying to get her location from the hospital staff.

"I'm here, Mom. I'm not going anywhere either - they have me hooked up and tied down" she said with a small smile.

"I just need to touch you!" I said, needing to have her in my arms to convince myself that she was real. "What happened, Sweets?"

"I'm not really sure, honestly. I boarded the plane, and I'd been cramping all morning. I went to the bathroom and saw blood. That's the last thing I remember. I guess I was still unconscious for a while after I got here. I lost quite a bit of blood, so they gave me a transfusion. They still don't know what caused it, but as of right now the babies are still both looking good" she answered, and I finally exhaled.

"God, kid - you scared Mommy to death. I don't think I'm going to let you _or_ Finn go anywhere for a while. Speaking of Finn, I spoke to Annie right before their flight took off" I told her.

"How was he?" she asked quietly. I could tell she needed to have him nearby.

"He...he wasn't good, Ror. Annie had given him something to ensure he slept on the flight to LA. He was a mess. I don't think he'll relax until he gets here and sees you for himself" I told her.

"I need to see him, too" Rory whispered.

"Well, why don't you close your eyes and get some rest while you're waiting for him to get here. I think that's the most important thing you can do for the three of you."

Rory begrudgingly closed her eyes and she was soon asleep again. They all sat there in the room quietly, listening to the continual beeping of the fetal monitors that assured them that the babies were still okay for the time being. Soon, Rory's soft snores wafted through the room.

"Thank you so much for getting here so quickly, Chris. I was so terrified" I said, breaking down into tears again.

"There's no need to thank me, Lore. My baby needed me. I'm just glad that I was so close and could get here so quickly" Chris answered.

"Has the doctor given any indication of what the prognosis is?" I asked softly, scared to know the answer.

"They've been pretty vague so far. Since they haven't figured out what caused the bleeding yet they really don't know, but what they're seeing from the babies so far is encouraging" Chris answered.

"God, I'm just so grateful that her flight hadn't taken off yet. If she'd been somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic, we could have lost her" I whispered, realizing just how close we'd come.

"She was going to Australia?" he asked.

"Yeah. She and Finn were miserable without each other. She was going to fly out to surprise him - she wanted to tell him that she loves him."

"Whoa, that's big. What changed? I mean, I knew that he was crazy about her, but I didn't think she was there yet" Chris said.

"Actually, I sat down and talked to her" Luke said, joining in the conversation. "Really, it must have just been the right place at the right time, because she opened right up. She just needed someone to validate what she was feeling and give her a little push to tell him how she felt."

"But she never got to tell him?" Chris asked.

"No, so I'm guessing it will be quite the emotional reunion for both of them when he arrives. I'd imagine we won't get him out of here until she's discharged" I told him.

"In that case, maybe one of us should run out and get some necessities for Finn and his mom before they arrive - toothbrush, toothpaste, a change of clothes?" Emily asked.

"That's a great idea, Mom. If I give you my phone, will you call Evie and see what they might need?" I asked, handing her my phone so she could step out and make the phone call.

I sat down next to Luke and laid my head onto his shoulder. "Thank you for being here with me. I know how much you hate hospitals" I whispered.

"Hey, I would never not be here for Rory. You know how I feel about that girl" Luke told me.

I nodded. "I know, but still, thank you. And for talking to her, helping her figure things out" I said.

He nodded and kissed the top of my head. "Absolutely" he whispered.

Finn's POV

We were finally landing in California. Mum said she had slipped me something so I would sleep. If anything had happened during that time I would have been so angry, but I knew we couldn't have gotten service to find out anyway. She filled me in on her conversation with Lorelai, but the fact that we had more information than she did at the time wasn't very comforting.

As soon as the plane landed I turned my phone back off of airplane mode, and the voicemails started coming in. Lorelai, Christopher, Evie… I listened to them all intently. The main thing was, they seemed to all still be okay - even though we still didn't know what was going on. I immediately called Lorelai and she answered quickly.

"Finn, hey, you're in LA?" She asked.

"Yeah, finally, I'm almost there. How is she? How are they? I'm freaking out here, Lorelai, give me some good news, please" I begged.

"They're still running tests, but according to all of the monitors they're hooked to, all three of them are hanging in there. The babies seem to be slightly distressed, but otherwise healthy from what they've seen so far." She said.

I exhaled deeply as Mum and I sat and waited for the plane to take off again after refueling.

"She's been asking constantly if we've heard from you. She's really worried about you right now" she told me.

"Bloody hell, tell her to forget about how I'm doing and focus on making sure they're okay!" I insisted with a slight laugh.

"You know she won't worry about only her and them. You matter to her, Finn" she said.

I smiled at the words and nodded to myself. "I know I do. I love your daughter so much, Lorelai. I'm trying as hard as I can to get there as fast as I can!" I promised.

"I know, Finn. She knows, too. She doesn't blame you for not being here. But she's ready for you to be here with her" she said.

"I am too. Can I talk to her?" He begged.

"She's asleep, Finn. I would love to wake her up for you, but she's barely slept. She's been worried about you, and the twins, and she just hasn't been able to shut her mind off real well" she said.

I sighed sadly but knew she was right. "As much as I want to, talking to her now wouldn't be a good idea, I guess. But I don't care if she's sleeping when I get there, I'm waking her ass up" I said with a chuckle.

She laughed also. "I expected as much from you" she teased.

"They just announced that we're getting ready to take off again, I need to go, Lorelai. Please tell her I'm on my way and I'll be there as soon as I physically can" I said.

"Absolutely, have a safe flight, Finn" she said and we hung up.

"So she seems to be doing alright?" My mum asked.

"They still don't know what caused it, they're continually running tests, but she and the babies are stable" I told her.

"Well, stable is good. Stable is all we can hope for, for the time being" she said.

"I'm still afraid it's something serious. A woman doesn't hemorrhage while pregnant for no reason. I feel better, but I can't help but think of how I knew something would happen this whole time. I can't explain how I knew, but I just - _knew_ " I said.

Mum smiled at me. "You're connected in a way that most people only dream to be, Finn. She's your soulmate and that's such a beautiful thing" she whispered happily.

I smiled, letting her words resonate within me. "My soulmate? You really think there's such a thing?" I asked.

"Oh absolutely, Finn. I think that's why she was the only one who could ever get you to settle down - she's the only one who will ever be right for you" she said.

"Do you have that with Dad?" I asked.

"Your dad was just like you were, Finn. He didn't want to settle down, didn't want to take over the family business, didn't want to _ever_ get married or have a family. Then we met, once, at a society party. Both of us were forced to go by our parents, neither of us wanted to. But we both thank our lucky stars we did. We just instantly had a connection. We didn't exchange numbers, and we didn't see each other again for almost a year. In that time, I had gotten engaged to Daniel Gleeson, someone my parents set me up with, but I wasn't happy. We ran into each other again, and the connection was as strong as ever. He had changed for me. He stopped seeing other women, his sole goal was to find me and ask me out. My parents weren't happy that I broke off my engagement but I just _knew_ , just like you do. And we've been together ever since" she told me.

"I've never heard that story" I said.

"You were never ready for it. Now you are" she whispered.

I nodded and our plane made its ascent. I saw mum settle into her seat and close her eyes. I took out my laptop and powered it on as soon as I was able. I needed to get a message to Rory. Even if I couldn't talk to her, I could still send her an old-fashioned love letter - via email, of course.


	62. Chapter 62

Rory's POV

"Hey, kiddo, how are you feeling?" Dad asked, he was the only one there when I woke up.

I took in a deep breath and nodded slightly. "I'm okay, no real difference from yesterday" I told him.

"Well, that's better than being worse, at least" he chuckled.

"Did everyone leave?" I asked.

"No, they're just getting some breakfast. Your mom talked to Finn, honey" he said.

Suddenly I sat up straighter in bed. "She did!? Why didn't she wake me up!? I wanted to talk to him!" I cried.

"Calm down, you had finally fallen asleep, and she didn't want to wake you. He did ask to talk to you, though. He's doing much better though since he found out you and the babies are stable" he said.

I sighed and nodded. I just wanted him here so badly. "Did he say when he should be here?" I asked.

"It should only be another few hours. He called about an hour ago" he said.

I nodded and checked my phone. He hadn't sent me any texts, and I was sad about that. I know I was sleeping, but I was hoping he would've tried to make some sort of contact.

I looked over my notifications for Facebook, and checked my emails. Nothing really interesting until suddenly a new one popped up right as I was looking. It was from Finn. I gasped and clicked it open immediately.

 _Baby,_

 _I'm so sorry I didn't listen to my gut feeling and stay home with you, or try to convince you a little harder to come along - although with something like this, you shouldn't have been away from your family. I know they're your lifeline._

 _I've been a complete mess since the moment I left you in Hartford Tuesday morning. I'm sure Evie filled you in some on how bad it's been. I just couldn't shake the feeling of how something felt off, and I just panicked. It's like I just_ _ **knew**_ _something would happen beyond our control, and that I wouldn't be able to get back in time._

 _I told that to Mum, and she got all giddy on me. She said that's how I know we're meant to be. She said we're soulmates - because I just_ _ **knew**_ _. She said we're connected in a way that most people dream to be connected to someone their whole life, and I've found it already, in you. And on my first try, no doubt!_

 _I can't explain to you how terrified I was, and how confused I was when Evie got that phone call. I didn't understand why they were calling her and not me, but then she told me. I'm sorry this ruined your surprise. That would have been the best Christmas present I could have ever imagined in my entire life - well - almost. I can think of a few things still a little higher on that list, but this isn't the time or the place for those._

 _Thank you, for trying to surprise me. I'm just grateful you weren't already in the air when that happened or god only knows what could've been._

 _I've calmed down a lot, knowing I'm almost there. I'm still nervous and scared, and anxious as hell, but I'm handling it much better. Mum has been amazing. She insisted on coming with me, since Evie decided I was in no shape to travel alone. Well, she wasn't wrong. But I'm just grateful I have an amazing family who supports me - who supports_ _ **us**_ _._

 _I hope you get this before my flight arrives. I just want you to know I'm thinking about you, and how much I love you three. Nothing will ever change the way I feel for you, Rory. And I hope one day you'll feel the same way for me. But until then, I just take comfort in knowing you care about me so much. I know you do, baby. And I thank god for you every day._

 _You take care and get some rest. Mum is starting to wake up and I want this to be just between you and me, so I'll see you soon, but nowhere near soon enough._

 _I love you so much, Baby. You three are my whole world!_

 _Love always,_

 _Finn_

I closed my eyes and smiled as I thought over what he'd said. I was desperate to have him here, but in the meantime this was pretty amazing. I knew instantly that I would never delete this email - I wanted to hold onto it forever. Hoping to be in time for him to get my email while he was still online, I hit the reply button and considered what I wanted to say.

 _Finn,_

 _Why is it that you have so many nicknames for me, but I have none for you? We're going to have to remedy that. Be forewarned that I'll be brainstorming while I'm waiting for you to get here, and we'll try them out in person. I need something to call you that - well, that says you're mine. Just using your name seems so impersonal._

 _Please don't beat yourself up anymore about not staying when you had the bad feeling. The important thing is that the babies and I are okay as of right now, and you're almost here with me. God, Finn, I can't wait to have your arms around me. I just - I need see you with my own two eyes, to touch you, to feel your arms around me, to kiss you. I'm glad you didn't have any more trips to Australia planned between now and when the babies are born, because I wouldn't be able to let you leave. You'll be doing well for me to let you go back to Boston - my goal is the least possible space between us at the moment._

 _There's so much I want to say to you, Finn, but I want to say it in person. I don't care if I'm asleep when you get here - wake me up, because we need to talk. That's why I was coming to surprise you, I needed to tell you some things, and they're definitely the kind of things that I want us to talk about face-to-face rather than on the phone or by email._

 _I'm getting really tired now, so I'm going to try to sleep a little more before you get here. They ended up having to give me a transfusion because I'd lost so much blood, and they said it's normal to feel really tired after. I'm going to scoot over to make room for you to slide into this crappy hospital bed with me the second you get here, and then I'm going to rest. Your family needs you - we're not complete without you._

 _I'll see you soon._

 _Yours,_

 _Rory_

I pressed the send button and then closed my laptop and set it to the side.

"You tired again, Kiddo?" Dad asked.

"Yeah, I'm just going to try to sleep until Finn gets here" I said quietly. I scooted over, making room so that Finn could crawl into the bed next to me as promised, and closed my eyes, drifting off to sleep as his words ran through my head.


	63. Chapter 63

Finn's POV

The moment the car pulled up to the curb, I bolted out the door and into the hospital. Lorelai had texted me directions to Rory's room, so I rushed through the halls with Mum right behind me. I rounded the last corner and paused for a split second to gather my wits before walking into her room. I knocked quietly and poked my head around the door.

"Hey, come on in" Lorelai whispered when she saw me. "She just fell back asleep a little bit ago, but she'll be so happy that you're here."

"I'm so happy to be here, believe me" I replied quietly.

Lorelai and Emily met me in the middle of the room and both hugged me tightly. "I'm glad you're here, Finn" Emily whispered.

"I'm glad to be here. Emily, Lorelai, Luke and Christopher, this is my mum, Annie. Mum, this is everyone. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get my arms around my girl - I've waited long enough."

I walked over to Rory and finally felt like I could exhale. I kicked off my shoes and crawled into bed next to her, just as her email had asked. I wrapped my arms around her and sighed - I felt complete at last. She began stirring a bit and I leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"Finn?" she asked sleepily, burrowing further into my arms.

"It's me, baby. I'm here" I whispered. I'd done a pretty damn good job of holding it together the last couple of hours, but having her in my arms now was more than I could handle, and I began crying again. "I was so worried about you, Ror."

"I'm okay. We're all okay" she said, moving my hand to her stomach. "I'm so glad you're here, though, Finn. I just...I needed you so badly" she said, tears streaming down her cheeks now as well.

"I think we'll all just head down to the cafeteria for a bit and give you two some time alone" Lorelai said, ushering everyone out of the room. The door closed behind them, leaving us alone.

"Please don't leave me again, Finn. I was so miserable without you. Everyone around me could see it, which is what prompted the decision to come surprise you" she said softly.

"I'm not going anywhere, baby. I can't - this is where I belong, where I want to be. I need to be with my family" I said emotionally.

"There's so much I need to tell you" she said, yawning as she spoke.

"It can wait. You need to rest" I whispered.

"No, it can't wait. That's why I had to talk to you, Finn. I talked to Luke, and it helped me realize something, but I wanted to tell you in person. I just...I thought it would be best that way - more personal and all. That may not even make any sense, huh? God, I'm so bad at this" she rambled.

"Whoa, take a deep breath there, baby. You're adorable when you ramble, but whatever you need to tell me, there's no need to be nervous. It's just you and me, Ror."

"You and I talked in New York, the morning after we made love, and I told you that you had all of these beautiful feelings for me and that I wanted to return them. And then you reassured me that you were mine, for whatever I wanted. I realized, Finn - I'm yours. I wasn't ready to admit it then, but that didn't change what I was feeling. I...I love you" she whispered, tears still falling down her beautiful face.

"Wait, what?" I asked in surprise, wanting to make sure I heard her clearly.

She smiled and bit her lip, "I think you heard me, smart guy" she teased.

"Well, I think I did, but I would absolutely love to hear it again" I whispered, running my fingers through her hair.

"I _said_ I _love_ you" she said with a smile.

"Oh man, I could definitely get used to hearing that. God, I love you Rory" I whispered, kissing her deeply.

We broke apart, but lingered. "Good, because I could get used to saying it" she whispered.

"I guess I have something to ask you then, seeing as how I've been going crazy out of my mind these last few days" I said.

She looked at me expectantly, prompting me to continue.

"Will you _please_ let me call you my girlfriend, for crying out loud!?" I asked dramatically with a laugh.

"Maybe. But only on one condition" she said.

"And what's that?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Only if I get to call you my boyfriend" she asked sweetly.

"Oh bloody hell, are you kidding me!?" I asked.

She shook her head and bit her lip again, her smile growing as big as mine. "I love you so much" I whispered.

"I love you, too" she whispered back.

There was a light knock on the door and a nurse walked in. "Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt!" She said.

"It's okay, this is my boyfriend, Finn. He's the twins' dad, and he just got here from Australia" Rory explained to the nurse.

"Ah, so that explains it!" The nurse said.

"Explains what?" I asked curiously.

"I was outside and noticed their vitals on my computer screen, and how much they've improved in such a short amount of time. They must've missed you so much that they needed you here to make them feel better" she said.

I laughed lightly. "Well, that would make total sense then, wouldn't it? I've been the exact same way the entire time we were apart" I told her.

"Well welcome back, Finn. They're definitely happier and healthier with you by their side" she said, checking a few other vitals and then excusing herself out.

"Okay, now that we've said all of our important things we needed to say, we need to get you back to bed, sleepy girl. I'll take a nap with you, since I can finally relax now that I'm with you" I told her.

She nodded and cuddled onto her side, getting comfortable, and I spooned behind her, holding her close in my arms, and we both drifted off to sleep. I was home.


	64. Chapter 64

Annie's POV

When we walked out of the hospital room, I turned and stopped Lorelai in the hallway outside the door. "I just wanted to introduce myself in person, Lorelai. I'm Anita Morgan, but please, call me Annie. It seems you and I will need to get acquainted! I just have to tell you, I absolutely adore your daughter. Rory is such a great influence on Finn. He's never been like this before, and I know I owe all the thanks in the world to your Rory" I told her happily.

Lorelai smiled at me warmly. "Thank you, I like her a lot, too. She's always been the kid growing up that parents credit as being a good influence - I guess things haven't changed!" She said with a laugh.

"And Emily, it's so good to see you again, it's been too long. And I'm sorry, I'm being rude, I didn't catch your names" I said to the men in our company.

"This is my husband Luke Danes, and this is Rory's dad, Christopher Hayden" Lorelai introduced.

"Hayden? As in Strobe and Francine?" I asked in surprise.

"Yeah, those are my parents" he said. "Anyway, Lor, can you give Rory a hug and a kiss for me, I need to run to the hotel and get some work done so I can stay in town to be here for here a while."

"You're staying? Wow, that's - great of you, Christopher. I'll tell her you'll be back in a while" Lorelai said, and he excused himself, walking away.

"We all know cafeteria food is terrible, but I know you ladies won't want to leave - would you like me to go pick up some carryout from somewhere and bring it back for you all to have something actually nutritious for lunch?" Luke asked.

"Are you sure you wouldn't mind?" Lorelai asked Luke.

"Sounds marvelous. My treat" Emily said, handing Luke a bill from her wallet.

"We'll meet you down in the cafeteria" Lorelai said, giving Luke a kiss and he walked away as well.

"Well, shall we go have some coffee and chat before he gets back?" Emily suggested to us, and we walked down to the cafeteria.

"So poor Finn was right all along. I never in a million years would've thought something would have actually happened like this while he was gone" Lorelai said.

"Oh my goodness, I didn't know what to do, I'd never seen him so sure of anything in his life, and we all just played it off as if he was just not used to having someone to care about back home - we didn't take it seriously one bit! I felt so terrible when Evie got that phone call!" I told her.

"Rory was calmer, but she still wasn't in a good place without him. I know she was getting really worried about how adamant he was. He just - he _knew_ \- and what an incredible, unexplainable thing to have happen" Emily said.

"He's definitely got a sixth sense happening when it comes to those three. They all have him wrapped around his finger already. It's a beautiful thing to see my son have so much love for his unborn children and their mother. I seriously never thought I'd see the day with him" I said.

"I have to admit, I had my doubts about him as well, but I have seen him with Rory, and he's just more than I could've ever asked for for her. He takes such good care of her, and cares so much for the babies. It's just - really sweet to see them together" Lorelai said.

"The first I met Finn, I was blown away. They tried telling me there was nothing going on between them - and I believe that they believed that at the time - but I could see it. It was in the way he looked at her, and in the way she wanted to be so near him. I don't think they knew it, but I did" Emily said.

"He says he's been in love with her for a very long time, and he has just been waiting for her to be ready. But from the sounds of things, she seems to be ready now. Evie told me she was planning to come to Australia to tell him she loved him" I said.

"She literally only just realized it the other day" Lorelai said with a smile.

"I don't know why on earth someone as smart as her took so long to catch on to her own feelings, but I'm glad she has now" Emily said with a laugh.

Luke walked back in and sat down take out containers on the table. "Bon appetite" he said.

We ate our food while still chatting here and there and then headed back to the hospital room - I think we were all so concerned about Rory and the babies that we didn't want to be gone longer than necessary. I took the time on the walk back to the room to send a text to Nick and Evie, letting them know that Rory and the babies were still stable. Everyone back in Australia had been clamoring for information.

We walked into the hospital room and all stopped as we saw Finn and Rory. They were cuddled up in her small hospital bed, wrapped around each other. I couldn't help it - I took out my phone and snapped a couple of pictures. It was the sweetest thing, and they both looked so peaceful. I send the picture off in another text and then we all turned to walk back out to the waiting room. No sooner had we walked out of the room, we were stopped by who I assumed to be a doctor.

"Are you all here with Miss Gilmore? I was just going to come in and let her know what we've found out with all the testing," the doctor said.

"Yes, we're all here with Rory. Can we come in?" Lorelai asked.

"It's fine with me as long as it's okay with Rory. Let's go into her room and we'll talk. I'm Dr. Abbott, by the way - I'm Rory's OB," she explained. We all followed her into the room and she smiled when she looked in on Finn and Rory. "The nurse was just telling me how she noticed that Rory and the babies' vitals improved so quickly - it coincided with when Finn got here, apparently. I've seen many single moms with unplanned pregnancies, but I don't think I've ever seen one where the dad is so completely devoted to his family."

"It is remarkable," Emily whispered.

Dr. Abbott walked over to Rory and Finn and spoke to them, waking them up. "I'm sorry to wake you guys; I know you haven't gotten much sleep, but we have some news about what's going on," she spoke softly.

Finn and Rory stirred and sat up, stretching as they did.

"I'll just get out of your way," Finn said as he began standing up, but the doctor stopped him quickly.

"You're not in my way at all. It's obvious that these three need you, so please stay put." Finn settled back next to Rory, wrapping his arm around her, and the doctor continued. "The ultrasound we did gave us a clear picture of what's going on and how to proceed. You have what's called a subchorionic hemorrhage - it's basically a hematoma between uterine wall and the chorionic membrane. In this case, the hematoma is rather large. We don't know what causes them - there are risk factors, but none of those seem to apply here," she explained.

"What does this mean? Will our babies be okay?" Rory asked tearfully, burrowing into Finn's side further. My heart broke for both of them at that moment - the looks of fear and anxiety on their faces were so poignant.

"As of right now, everything looks good. The majority of women who experience this condition continue to deliver healthy babies. We do have some concerns here, and you are considered high-risk now. The later in pregnancy the hematoma develops, the higher the risk to the unborn babies. There's also the size - that's concerning as well. I think that with frequent monitoring and top notch medical care, we should be able to get your babies to a point where they can be born safely. We'll need to see you in the office much more often, and you'll have some pretty heavy restrictions for the remainder of your pregnancy. I would also prefer that you not be left alone - it's best to have someone with you, just in case the condition becomes emergent again. Had you been alone when this happened, we very well could have lost you and the babies," Dr. Abbott said.

Finn's eyes teared up and he tightened his hold on Rory. "You just tell us what we need to, Dr. Abbott. I have to have all three of them safe and healthy at the end of this pregnancy" Finn said, fighting back sobs.

"I can promise you that we'll give her the best care possible, Finn. I truly believe that if we all work together, we can have a positive outcome for all of you. We'd like to keep Rory a couple more days to continue to monitor the situation and ensure that everything looks good, and we'll talk more about what we need to do going forward while you're still here. Does anyone have any questions?" the doctor asked.

I looked at Rory's family, and they were all sitting there as if they were in shock. It was time for us to come together as one family, to support Finn and Rory in any way possible. "So, if I'm hearing you correctly, while there are concerns, you think we'll have two healthy grandbabies and my son will still have the love of his life after Rory gives birth?" I asked, wanting to ensure I was following her correctly.

"Yes, I really do think we can at least get her far enough along in the pregnancy that the babies would be viable if we had to deliver early. Right now, that's a minimum of six more weeks, but obviously we would prefer to make it further if we can while keeping everyone safe. We'll be seeing Rory in our office weekly from here on out, and she'll have ultrasounds at every visit. We'll have her on modified best rest - she'll be able to be up and around some, but her activity will be limited. A positive outcome depends on everyone supporting Rory and Finn as they do what it takes to keep the three of them healthy," Dr. Abbott confirmed.

"Thank you, Doctor. I'm sure we'll have more questions before she's discharged, but for right now I think we all need to take a bit to wrap our heads around what we've been told," I said gratefully.

"Of course. Have me paged if you have any questions at all. I'm sorry, Rory, but it looks like you'll still be here for Christmas."

"It will be worth it - I have to keep us all healthy, no matter what," she whispered tearfully.


	65. Chapter 65

Finn's POV

I felt numb as I processed what Dr. Abbott had said - it seemed surreal to realize how close I had come to losing all three of them. I felt tears streaming down my cheeks and noticed that Rory was also crying.

"Hey, come here, baby. You're all okay now, and we're going to do everything we can to make sure we keep you that way, okay? I'm so sorry, Ror - I never should have left you. I should have been right there to take care of you," I said emotionally.

"You don't have anything to apologize for, Finn. It wouldn't have changed what happened - we'd still be right here in this same situation," Rory tried to reassure me.

Lorelai cleared her throat and we both looked up at her. "I think we're all going to step out into the waiting room again for a bit - give you guys a few minutes to talk about things. I have my phone, so just text me when you're ready for us to come back in. I'll call your dad and let him know what's going on, Sweets," Lorelai said before taking Luke's hand and walking out the door.

"I'm going to call everyone back in Australia as well - they've all been asking for updates. We'll be back in shortly," my mum said, turning and walking out the door with Emily.

We were once again alone in the room, and I held Rory, desperate to remind myself that she was okay. "I'm so scared, Finn," she whispered.

"I am, too, baby. We're going to get through this together, though - we have to. I promise that I'll do everything in my power to make sure you're all three okay," I assured her.

There was a knock at the door and Dr. Abbott stuck her head back in. "I noticed that everyone else was in the waiting room while I was walking by, so I wanted to take advantage of having you both in the room alone. I didn't want to mention it with your room full of family because I know that it would be awkward, but we'll also need to put you on complete pelvic rest for the remainder of the pregnancy," she said.

"Pelvic rest?" I asked in confusion.

"To put it delicately, that means that nothing at all goes there - period. Rory will have to remain celibate until six weeks after she gives birth," she explained.

"Oh. Oh, wow. Okay, we can do that, right?" Rory asked, blushing as she said it.

"Of course, baby," I said, laughing slightly. "That's a small price to pay to keep the three of you healthy."

"It's very important that you follow that order strictly. In some cases, intercourse can cause this condition. I just wanted to mention that while you had some privacy. I'll check on you again before I'm finished with my rounds," Dr. Abbott said, leaving the room.

I turned to Rory, automatically feeling incredibly guilty. "We made love Tuesday morning, and then this happened Friday. I could have caused this," I whispered.

Rory put her hands on either side of my face and turned my head toward hers. "No, Finn - don't go there. _We_ made the choice to make love, and we had no way to know that it might cause a problem. Even now, we don't _know_ that's what caused it - it's just a possibility. Don't blame yourself here," she said firmly.

"I know. But the last time - that was more my -"

"Stop!" she said, putting a finger to my lips. "Let's just deal with the situation at hand. Nothing can change it, nor do I regret it, so rather than dwelling on what could've prevented something we didn't even know was a risk, let's just work on what we can do to protect them from here on out" she said.

I sighed and raked my hand through my hair. "You're right. You're totally right. Okay, so situation at hand, you'll be in the hospital for another few days, and then she said you need to not be left alone… I mean, if you come to Boston with me, that would be the only way I could stay with you, but then you'd have to come to work with me and be bored all the time…" I said.

"Yeah" she said, not sounding too happy with the idea.

"Or you could stay in Stars Hollow, but you'd have to go with your mom or Luke all the time to work, or be followed around by one of your certifiable townies…" I said.

"But then I wouldn't get to see you everyday…" she said.

"No, I suppose you wouldn't, hmm" I said, not liking that option either. "I could hire you a babysitter to stay home and watch you if you wanted to stay at my apartment" I teased.

That got a laugh out of her. "But I don't know if I want to be that far away from my mom now that I'm so high risk" she said.

I nodded. There was no easy solution to this situation. As if on cue, my phone vibrated in my pocket and I took it out to look. "What if we moved into the house in Hartford a little earlier than planned?" I suggested after reading the text.

"But that still wouldn't make any sense - I mean, yeah, it's closer to my mom, but way further from your work.

"That's true, however my dad just texted me and told me he's going to make it so that I can work remotely with my laptop so I can be wherever you are, and don't have to leave you" I told her.

"Are you serious!? He's really going to do that for us!?" She asked, her entire face lighting up.

I showed her the phone and she smiled brightly. "Wow, I guess your dad really does like me, huh?" She teased.

"I think that's an understatement, Love. You are by far the best thing that's ever happened to me, and they all know it" I said.

"But how did he know?" I asked.

"I'm assuming my mum told him what the doctor said. Since she knew I was planning to move to Hartford anyway, my guess is she got him to expedite a few things" I said.

"Your family is amazing, Finn. They've been nothing short of incredible towards me and our children. I'm so, so grateful they're nothing like Logan's parents were" she said with a laugh.

I nodded, and got a funny feeling when she mentioned Logan - but not jealous - more like, the opposite. I was totally secure in our relationship and her mention of Logan didn't change that at all. I laughed lightly to myself because I was so internally proud of my little maturity moment. I really must be growing up!

"So you're moving in with me?" She asked.

"Does that freak you out?" I asked her.

She shook her head slowly. "No… in fact, I think the idea of you not being there freaked me out even more. I mean, this is huge, but so has our entire relationship been, so why change now?" She teased.

I laughed and nodded. "So, I was thinking you and I could stay in Stars Hollow just until Evie could redecorate for us - should only take a week or two, tops, and then when we're in and settled we'll have her work on the babies rooms?" I asked her.

She nodded in agreement. "I think I really like that idea" she said.

"Perfect, then it's settled! Only problem is, I'll have to run home just to get my necessities, but then I can be by your side one hundred percent" I told her.

She nodded. She didn't like it, but she knew it was necessary. "Just give me a couple more days before you leave me again" she whispered, hugging me tightly around my chest and pressing into me close.

I chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "I promise, baby."


	66. Chapter 66

Rory's POV

"Merry Christmas, baby" I heard whispered to me as soon as my eyes started to open.

I looked up to see Finn smiling at me and snuggled in closer to him. "Merry Christmas" I whispered back.

He wrapped his arms tighter around me and kissed me lightly on the lips. "I love you" he whispered.

I smiled big and kissed him back. "I love you, too" I whispered back.

"You know, if you wanted to spend Christmas with me, all you had to do was say so" he teased, touching his forehead to mine and I laughed.

"I do things differently, I suppose" I said with a laugh.

"That's the damn truth" he teased.

"Do you know what time everyone's supposed to come by today?" I asked him.

"They said ten, they wanted to give you the opportunity to sleep if you needed it" he said.

I looked at the time on my phone and laughed. "It's not even eight yet. I guess it's just you and me for two hours" I said.

"Are you hungry? We could order breakfast" he suggested.

"That does sound good, let's do that" I said, pulling out the menu to have a look.

"You know, for a hospital, the room service food isn't half bad" he said, remembering dinner from last night.

"I know. But I heard the cafeteria food is still awful" I said.

"That's okay, I'd rather eat with you anyway" he said, peering at the menu with me, over my shoulder.

We made our selections and placed our orders, and we were set to wait for approximately forty five minutes, they said, for our food to arrive. Apparently bribing the staff didn't work, they wouldn't guarantee it any sooner. I had to laugh at Finn's attempt, though.

"I thought for sure a twenty-five dollar tip for a $7 tray of food would earn us first delivery" he muttered and the look on his face when I laughed showed that I probably found it way more funny than he did.

"It's fine, I'm not starving or anything. I kind of enjoy having the alone time with you" I told him.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Absolutely! Duh, I've missed you, Finn!" I said with a laugh.

"Well, I've been back for twenty-four hours now, I figured you'd be tired of me by now" he teased.

I just shook my head and smiled. "Absolutely not" I promised him. "So I came across this questionnaire thing on Facebook last night when you were in the shower and I thought it would be fun to do to kill some time."

"Questionnaire? What's it about?" he asked.

"It's supposedly questions you should know about your significant other. Interested?" I asked.

"Sure, I guess. Why not. Are you going to answer them, too?" He asked, as I pulled up the list of questions.

"Sure! Okay, question one: What's something you're glad you'll never have to do again?" I asked.

"Go on another date with some bimbo just trying to get laid. Even if you and I never happen, I respect my kids too much to ever be "that guy" again." He answered. "Your turn" he reminded me.

"Having to go through these last 48 hours without you. It was awful. I just needed you here so badly. Alright, question two: What's one thing you always procrastinate on?" I asked.

"Packing, definitely. I always wait til the very last minute. And buying Christmas presents."

"Oh no! Christmas presents! I don't have anything for you!" I exclaimed.

"We'll talk about that after the quiz. What do you procrastinate the most on?" he asked with a laugh.

"Definitely making decisions - I make lists and check them meticulously because I'm terrified to make the wrong decision… okay, so what would you do with your life if you were suddenly awarded a billion dollars?" I asked.

"Clearly I didn't care so much and blew it on one night stands for a while. But from now on, it would be invested and used to take care of my kids and their beautiful mum." He said.

"I really don't think I would change anything. I've seen what money can do to people, and I love my life just like it is. What should a healthy relationship provide for the people in it?" I asked.

"Well, I've never been in one before now, but I would assume love, trust, support, comfort…"

"I think it should provide security and love. You should be able to trust that person to be completely committed to you. You should take care of each other and care enough to fight when it's hard. Do you believe everything happens for a reason, or do we just find reasons after things happen?" I asked.

"I very much think if things didn't happen for a reason, and if there wasn't someone or something up in the heavens looking out for us, you and I wouldn't be here right now getting ready to be parents to two of the luckiest babies in the world to have us as parents." He said.

"Yeah, I absolutely think everything happens for a reason, too. So okay, is there anything you consider absolutely unforgivable?" I asked.

"Cheating. I've been hard-wired to flirt since I was a tiny tyke - but even me who has never been in a relationship before in my life knows where to draw the line." He said.

"I'd have to say the same. The closest thing to unforgivable for me would be cheating. I know that Logan and I worked through that, but I don't think I could do it again… If you woke up tomorrow with no fear, what would you do first?" I asked.

"Omnia et nihil - anything and everything" he said.

"You just know Latin off the top of your head, huh? Well, for me I think I just did that - it didn't quite work out like I expected, but I'd say the end result was still pretty fabulous. Alright, in your life, what has been the biggest blessing in disguise?" I asked.

"It's not so much in disguise anymore, but most definitely having these children with you has been my biggest blessing and greatest achievement." He said.

"Yeah, these two babies, for sure. I never dreamed of being a mom, but now I can't wait, and they brought us together… If you could pick one year of your life to do-over, which would it be and why?" I asked.

"The year when I first met you in college. I would have asked you out like I wanted to instead of letting Huntz 'have' you first." He said.

"I really don't think I would do anything over, because otherwise I wouldn't be here. Life has been hard at times, but it's all worth it now. What is one behavior that you never tolerate?" I asked.

"Being nasty to my family. Every single member of my family is very important to me. That also extends to my best friends." He said.

I nodded. "Lying and manipulating - I just can't stand it." I said.

Just then there was a knock on the door and someone called "Room service" from the outside of the room.

"Come in!" We called, and they brought in our trays.

"Want to continue our questions later? It's been kind of fun" I asked him.

He nodded as he was getting the table situated for us to eat on. "Sure, baby" he said.

The dietary worker left the room and we began to eat in silence.


	67. Chapter 67

Finn's POV

Rory and I had just finished our breakfast and she had freshened up a bit when there was another knock on the door. "Come in," I called, looking toward the door to see who would walk in.

"Merry Christmas!" came from our families as they all walked through the door. I laughed when I saw Lorelai - had had on a reindeer antler headband and what I could only describe as an ugly Christmas sweater, and they were all carrying armfuls of gifts and Christmas cheer.

"Merry Christmas, everyone," Rory and I said together, still laughing.

"We come bearing everything that we could possibly need to make this the best hospital Christmas ever, including something festive for you, Ror," Lorelai said, holding out a pair of Christmas pajamas and a matching robe.

"You know, I think this is better than what I'm currently wearing, and the doctor mentioned I could change if I wanted to. Finn, would you mind helping me change?" I asked. I was still a little unsteady on my feet and got dizzy easily, likely from the blood loss.

"Of course, baby" I said, helping her out of bed and into the bathroom. I helped her changed into the gingerbread pajamas and then back into the room, getting us both situated on the bed again.

"Thank you all so much for spending your Christmas day here with us. I know it's not what any of us would typically be doing, but we really appreciate everything," I said, feeling extremely grateful that we had such amazing support from our families.

"Hey, I have to support my baby and her baby daddy, right?" Lorelai teased. I laughed, as did everyone else.

"Actually, he's been given a promotion" Rory said with a smile. "He's my boyfriend _and_ the father of my children now."

"Aw, I thought that might be the case! That's amazing news, you two!" Mum cried, rushing over to hug us both.

"I just knew it!" Emily cried. "The minute I saw you two together - it was so obvious!"

"It's the best Christmas gift I could ever hope for - I have the woman I love and our two babies" I beamed, loving the feeling of Rory calling me her boyfriend.

"Well, I love you, and these two love you, too" Rory whispered, kissing me lightly.

"Look at that - I didn't even need the mistletoe I'd brought!" Lorelai teased, pulling a sprig of it out of her pocket. That woman - there was never a dull moment with her around.

"You didn't need that before they were officially together," Mum joked, winking at us both. "Now, let me get a picture of the two of you. We need your first Christmas together, and we'll also want to put it in the baby books."

I wrapped my arms around Rory and smiled as Mum took several pictures of Rory and me - us looking at the camera, looking at each other, kissing - and looked around me, realizing just how perfect my life was right now.

"Alright, we have gifts!" Lorelai cried. "Since _someone_ wouldn't tell us what they're having," she began, giving Rory and me a pointed look, "we couldn't go too far down the rabbit hole of shopping for the babies. I'm afraid you'll have to settle for gifts that are mostly for you two."

"I feel so bad - I don't have any of the gifts I got anyone here" Rory said softly.

"None of that now, Rory. You've had much more important things to worry about" Emily admonished her. "Now, this is from me. I hope you two like it," she said, handing over a wrapped box.

Rory and I took the box and unwrapped it. I pulled off the top to reveal an ornament - it was a couple embracing each other. I carefully lifted it out of the box and turned it so that I could read the words. It said "Finn and Rory's First Christmas" with the year printed below it.

"Grandma, it's beautiful" Rory said, tears in her eyes. "These pregnancy hormones - I swear!" she said with a small laugh.

"I'm so glad you like it," Emily replied.

"We just got together yesterday. How in the world did you get this made so quickly?" I asked Emily.

"Let's just say that I knew it was only a matter of time until you two quit denying what the rest of us saw. You look at Rory the way Richard looked at me" she said with a wistful smile. Unable to find the words to say what I was feeling, I just smiled at Emily and kissed the top of Rory's head.

"Well, this is from Nick and me. We have more gifts in Australia that he'll bring back home with us, but I wanted you to have something to open today" Mum said, handing us another box.

Rory opened this one and then reached in and took out a beautiful silver picture frame. It was engraved with the words "Our Family" on it.

"I thought you could put your first family portrait in it" Mum whispered.

"Thank you, Mum. This is perfect" I said, looking forward to the day when I would hold our two little ones in my arms.

"Alright, this is from me. Your step-daddy over here wouldn't let me put his name on it. In fact, I think I caught him trying to throw it away, but I got there just in the nick of time" Lorelai said, handing a box to Rory.

Rory gave her mom a questioning look and unwrapped the box. She lifted the lid and immediately slammed it back closed, her eyes as wide as saucers. "Mom!" Rory squealed, blushing furiously. "I can't...I just can't even believe you went there!" she stammered.

"What is it, baby?" I asked curiously, trying to lift the lid.

"No way, there's no way you're seeing what's in here right now" Rory insisted, trying to hide the box under her legs so I couldn't get to it.

"You know I'll find out at some point" I teased, loving seeing her so worked up.

"I'll let you see later - when we're alone" she said with a pointed look in my direction.

"Okay, later" I agreed, holding my hands up in surrender. I would get to the bottom of this after everyone was gone.

"Here, this is your _real_ gift" Luke said, handing off another box. I opened the box and found a beautiful carved wooden box inside.

"This is beautiful" I said, running my hands over the wood.

"I made it - I thought you guys could use it to keep important things in. Lorelai has one that she keeps our keepsakes in, and I thought it might be nice for you guys, too" Luke said, obviously uncomfortable with being so sentimental in front of the group of us.

"It's gorgeous, Luke. Thank you so much" Rory said, smiling warmly at her step-dad.

"And this is from me, Kiddo. It's a little unorthodox, but I knew it was something that you could use" Rory's dad said, handing us an envelope. Rory opened the envelope and pulled out the enclosed paper, showing it to me.

"Oh wow - a year of a cleaning service for the house in Hartford. This _is_ amazing. Thank you, Dad" Rory said. "I won't be able to take care of much until after these two are born, so we could really use this. Thank you all so much - this is more than I could have imagined. It may be a simple Christmas, but it's one of the best ever" Rory said, leaning further into me and laying her head on my chest.


	68. Chapter 68

Rory's POV

After spending hours together with our family, and having a special Christmas dinner that Dad surprised us by having catered in, we were stuffed and had a pretty amazing Christmas, considering the circumstances.

Dad went back to Boston, Grandma went back to Nantucket, and Luke was trying to drag Mom out of the room to get back to Stars Hollow before it got to be too late.

Soon, we were left with Annie and us sitting around and talking. Finn got up and excused himself to the bathroom, and I took the opportunity to talk one on one with his mom.

"Annie, I know things have been so crazy this weekend, and none of this was the ideal way to spend your Christmas - I just wanted to thank you, for being here for Finn and I, and I'm so, so sorry for tearing you away from the rest of your family at Christmas. I feel terrible for that" I told her.

She smiled warmly and crossed the room, coming to sit down beside me on the bed. She took my hand in hers, and it was warm and comforting. "Rory, don't be silly. I am with my family, silly girl. Finn, my twin grandbabies, you… You may not be married in - yet - but you're definitely still family in my eyes. Anyone who can help Finn do the one-eighty he's done since Labor Day, deserves a lot of credit. And the thing I love most about you, Rory, is you don't seek credit. You do it because you love him - hell, I'm not even sure you knew you were doing it in the first place - but the bottom line is, my son loves you. He has never loved anyone outside of his family before, and that's what makes you family, sweetheart. Just keep being your amazing self, and keep being strong for him and those babies of yours, and you will always be family to us" she told me.

Tears fell from my eyes and I wiped them away quickly, but they kept coming back. "I'm sorry, these hormones are so embarrassing sometimes" I whispered.

She smiled and handed me a Kleenex. "You've had a lot happen, and you're on emotional overload. It's completely normal, dear. And considering you've got double the amount that I've ever had, I'd say you're doing pretty well" she said.

"Just - thank you for everything, Annie. I just want you to know how much I appreciate everything you have done for us, already. Finn told me he'd be able to work remotely, and I credit that to you and to Nick. If you weren't nearly as understanding, we may have never have had that option" I told her.

"Our family takes care of each other, and now that includes you. Anything we can do for you, you just name it, and we'll do everything in our power to make sure we can help" she said.

I smiled and hugged her, her arms around me in a tight embrace.

Finn had since walked out of the bathroom and was just watching us interact, unbeknownst to either of us. I looked up and saw the smile on his face when I pulled away from the hug.

"Oh good, Finn, I'm going to head on out to the hotel, and let you two have some more time to yourselves. I'm exhausted and absolutely stuffed from that big meal Christopher had brought in. I think heading to bed early would do me some good tonight" Annie said, standing up to hug her son.

"I love you, Mum. Will you be alright getting to the hotel alone?" He asked.

She chuckled slightly. "Of course I will, Finn. Don't you worry about your dear ol' mum. I'm much tougher than you give me credit for" she teased.

He laughed and nodded. "Okay, then we'll see you tomorrow, Mum. Get some sleep" he said, walking her to the door.

"Bye Rory, bye dear" she said, kissing Finn on the cheek, and letting herself out.

Finn's POV

Once Rory and I were finally alone, I moved to my newly-acquired overnight bag and reached to the bottom to retrieve her Christmas gift. I'd ordered it before leaving Hartford for my trip and Mum had picked it up for me yesterday. I walked over to the bed and sat down next to her.

"So, I got you something for Christmas. I thought it would be perfect, and that was actually before you told me you loved me," I said with a laugh. "Now it seems even more perfect."

"But I told you - I don't have anything for you here," she objected.

"And I told you that I have everything that I could possibly want for Christmas right here, and that's all thanks to you. Now, open it," I said, placing the box in her hands.

She lifted the top off of the small box and smiled as her eyes teared up.

"Finn, it's perfect. I love it, and I don't think you'll ever get me to take it off. Will you put it on me?" she asked.

"Of course, baby." I took the necklace out of the box and she moved her hair aside so I could fasten it around her neck. I clasped the necklace on her and smiled. It looked perfect on her.

"I just...thank you, Finn. I know I already said this, but I love it," she said, running her fingers over the necklace. It was a white gold infinity necklace, and I had mine and Rory's names as well as the babies' names engraved on it.

"I'm so glad you love it, baby," I replied, leaning over to kiss her.

There was a knock on the door, causing Rory and I to look at each other curiously. Neither of us expecting anyone, so she just shrugged and I yelled "come in".

A head poked in and I smiled when I recognized my best mate, Colin. "Is it okay if we come in? We probably should've called first" he said and I nodded.

"As long as your wife plays nicely" I teased him.

Colin laughed as he and Stephanie walked in the room. "He's already sworn me to it" she grumbled.

Rory and I both laughed and Stephanie shut the door behind them.

"So, merry Christmas" Rory told them, and Colin leaned down to hug her.

"Merry Christmas, I should've known that Finn's babies' antics would have you in the hospital as much as he always was back in the day" he teased.

"I'm surprised it took this long, actually" Rory teased back.

"Ha ha ha very funny" I said with a laugh and hugged him.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Steph asked Rory, sitting down beside her.

"Getting stronger every day" she told her and I had to laugh.

"Yeah, she was pretty pitiful yesterday when I got here" I said.

She shrugged. "It's true" she admitted.

"So no company?" Colin asked, looking around in surprise.

My mum's back at the hotel - she came with me from Australia. Rory's parents and grandma were here earlier, but everyone's already gone home" I said.

"Well, that's good, I guess! It's a lot harder to form a sub party when you can't leave your bed" he teased.

"That is true, mate. You're unusually quiet, it's kind of nice, Steph" I teased.

She looked up at me with a teasing glare. "I'm just trying not to scare the girl away this time" she teased.

"Well, it's not like I could go far, at least" Rory teased back.

"I've always liked this one" Colin said with a laugh.

"Yeah, me too. She's pretty amazing" I said.

"Amazing? And you're admitting this in front of the lady?" Colin asked.

"If I can't admit it in front of my girlfriend, I don't suppose there are many I should admit it in front of then, is there?" I asked him.

"Your girlfriend!?" Steph exclaimed, throwing her arms around Rory for a hug.

"Since when have we had the new development?" Colin asked.

"Since about five minutes after he walked through that door yesterday" Rory said with a smile.

"Well, congratulations! It's going to be hard to top a Christmas Eve anniversary, let me tell you" he said.

"And how would you know?" Steph challenged with a laugh.

"I've heard things!" He said, laughing too.

"We'll have to have you guys over as soon as we get the house finished" I said casually, taking a drink of my soda.

"I'm sorry, did you just say 'we' and 'house' in the same sentence?" Steph asked in surprise.

"Yeah, it appears as if I'm moving to Hartford a bit sooner than I'd originally planned to. Emily gave Rory the house she and Richard lived in, and insisted I move in as well" I said.

"Wow, Finn Morgan. Someone's live-in boyfriend, and father of two. Who in the hell would have thought that possible six months ago!?" Colin asked with a laugh.

"I don't know mate, but I definitely don't hate it. I don't know what the hell I was thinking that being single was better than having family, but I know better now!" I said.

"That's so awesome! I'm so happy for both of you!" Steph exclaimed.

"We could also say the same thing about me six months ago, too, but he's right. I wouldn't change it. It's all about finding the right person to share it all with, I suppose" Rory said, looking at me with a smile.


	69. Chapter 69

Rory's POV

"Are you two ready to get out of here?" our day nurse, Melissa, asked as she walked into the hospital room.

"We can't wait, honestly. It will be nice to be...well, anywhere but here," I said with a laugh.

"You can say this again. Both of us sleeping in this hospital bed isn't exactly comfortable," Finn added.

"You know we would have pulled another bed in for you, Finn," Melissa replied.

"Ah, but then I wouldn't be able to sleep with my beautiful girl in my arms," he admitted with a sly smile.

"You two have to be the sweetest couple I've gotten to take care of in forever, and that's really saying something. Now, we've gone over all of your discharge and care instructions. Do either of you have any questions?" asked Melissa.

"No, I think we're clear on everything. I'll make sure that she follows doctor's orders - we don't want to end up back here if we can help it," Finn replied.

"Excellent. Well, Rory, if you'll just get comfortable here in the wheelchair we'll get you two out of here," Melissa said as she helped Rory into the waiting wheelchair.

Melissa wheeled me outside with Finn following us with our bags, and soon he pulled up to the curb in my Prius to officially leave the hospital after four very intense, emotional days. He helped me into the passenger seat and breathed a sigh of relief as he got himself situated in the driver's seat. Being discharged meant that the babies and I were doing well enough that the doctor thought we were out of the woods for the time being, provided Finn and I followed all of Dr. Abbott's orders and restrictions.

"Where to, Love?" Finn asked.

"Can we stop by Luke's for food, and then we can go check into the Dragonfly?" I asked. Mom had reserved the honeymoon suite for Finn me for the next two days, hoping to give us plenty of peace and room to relax. We would stay in Stars Hollow for two days and then head to Boston to pack Finn's things before returning to Stars Hollow until our home in Hartford had been redecorated by Evie. It all still seemed a bit surreal.

"Of course; I thought you might want to go there," he replied as he put the car in drive and pulled out of the parking lot.

"When will Evie be back from Australia?" I asked Finn, mentally preparing a timeline of when things would be happening.

"They'll all be back in the States tomorrow, and they're planning on flying straight to Hartford. They all want to see that you're okay with their own two eyes as well."

"It seems so weird to have the support of both of our families - I've actually never experienced that before," I chuckled.

"How any guy's family could not think you were good enough is beyond me, but the Huntzbergers have always been difficult at best," he replied.

"It's not so bad, though. I mean, without everything that happened in the past we might not be here now, right? And this...this is everything I've ever wanted," I whispered.

"You and me both, Love. Have you given any thought to what you'd like done at the Hartford house? Evie is dying to get started"

"Actually, I'd like to change almost all of it. It's just...I don't want to feel like I'm living in my grandparents' home. I want to make it feel like ours. The only room I'd like to leave mostly untouched is the study. It still has my Grandpa's things in it - his desk, books, chess set. I want to be able to go there and still feel like he's with me," I said emotionally.

"Then that's what we'll do, Ror. The study will remain as it is, and we'll redo everything else."

"I want our first priorities to be the living room, kitchen and our bedroom - I feel like we can work around everything else," I said.

"Our bedroom, huh? Not gonna ban me to the pool house?" Finn teased. Truthfully, while he wanted to be in the main house with her, they hadn't actually discussed it since they became a couple.

"Nope, you're stuck with me, mister," I teased.

"There's nowhere else I'd rather rather be," he said with a smile as he parked in front of the curb at Luke's. He helped me from the car, and every eye was immediately on us when we walked in the door. We were mobbed by well-meaning townspeople who wanted to check on me and the babies, and by Ms. Patty and Babette wanting to comment on my choice of men.

"Move out, everyone!" Luke barked, waving the crowd away and ushering me to a table. "You'd think they'd never seen a pregnant woman before," he growled. "Now, what can I get you two?"

"I'll have the usual," I said, noticing Luke's eye roll as he wrote down my order.

"I'll have the same - I'm sure it's delicious," Finn added.

"I'll have it right out," he replied, walking toward the kitchen.

I heard the bell over the door ring and turned to see my mom walking into Luke's. "There's my baby, her baby daddy, and the grandbabies!" Mom said with a laugh. "It's so good to see you on the outside, kid."

"Mom, it's not like I've been in prison," I said with a laugh.

"No, but I bet it felt like it. I just had to come over on my lunch break and see how you're doing. I already have you checked in - here are your keys," she said, handing Finn and I each a key to our suite. "Sookie is so excited that she's coming in tomorrow to make breakfast. She can't wait to see you."

"Aw, that's so sweet! I can't wait to see her either, or to be able to introduce her to Finn. At least I can be certain she won't try to hit on him, unlike some _other_ people," I said, nodding toward Babette and Ms. Patty.

"Ah, some things never change, kid."

* * *

Hey everyone! Jenny & Ashley just wanted to give you all a heads up about what's been going on with the updates. So Jenny just got an amazing brand new job! She hasn't quite been there a week yet & she LOVES it, but it takes up all her time during the day, making it impossible for us to write in the daytime anymore :(

Evenings have been hectic for Ashley because car trouble with her husband's car has made it to where she have to take him to/from work, usually right smack dab in the middle of when she's avail to write in the evenings. Hopefully his car will be fixed soon & we can get back to some normalcy!

We're talking about writing chapters separately in the meantime, but we haven't done so yet. It breaks my heart to even consider it, but we know it will need to be done for the sake of the story :(

 **We will do our very best to stay involved, but we will have to do so at our own pace. Thank you all for your patience & understanding! We love this story & we love our readers. Don't give up on us! We'll be back to normal as soon as possible!**


	70. Chapter 70

Rory's POV

Finn, Annie and I made our way back to the Hartford house to meet with his family who were coming back into town today, and we planned to have them meet us at the house so Evie could see it and get started right away.

My mom insisted on meeting them all as well, so she left Luke at the diner and followed us there, picking up some lunch for us along the way.

"Rory, this place is beautiful! And massive! You'll definitely have room to grow in this house!" Annie said, looking around the exterior in awe. She wasn't used to living in such lavish homes, she and Nick shared a nice, four bedroom home in Boston, but nothing too upscale.

"It's definitely big, and inside seems even more so! I'm hoping to have Evie make it seem more warm and inviting and homey, rather than just massive and empty" I told her.

"Well, if anyone can pull it off, it's Evie. She's got such a knack for these things, I never understood where she got it from - I'm sure as heck not talented the way she is!" She said proudly.

I laughed and nodded my head. "I completely understand, believe me."

"Shall we head inside, ladies?" Finn asked, luggage in tow.

"Oh, right! You don't have a key yet. We'll have to get on that!" I said, rushing up to the house and unlocking the front door.

I led them inside and Finn put the suitcases by the door for now, until we decided where else to go with them.

"Would you like the tour, Annie?" I asked her.

"I sure would, this place is huge! I would get lost in here in a heartbeat!" She teased.

I laughed and showed her around while Finn stayed downstairs to wait for my mom to get there.

After lunch, mom and Annie went outside to look around in the back yard, but I was feeling run down, so Finn and I stayed inside and talked on the couch.

Finn had a curious look in his eye and I could tell he was feeling mischievous.

"What?" I asked him with a laugh.

"I want to know what's in the box" he said, completely serious.

I laughed and shook my head. "No way! Not with your mom here! I don't need my mom scaring her and you away" I protested.

"Rubbish! I'm getting the box!" he said, walking over to where he sat down the luggage.

"Don't stop loving me because my mom's a nut case, please!" I said, half teasing and half seriously.

He picked up the box and opened the lid, and immediately burst out laughing at what he saw inside.

"Really? Lorelai thought you needed some very...barely there lingerie and handcuffs to get me interested? Doesn't she know that I can't keep my hands off of you as it is?" he teased.

My cheeks turned bright red and he smiled, closing the box up and coming back to sit beside me again. "I mean, I can, because I have to, but not because I want to" he continued, kissing my forehead.

"I told you she's nuts" I said.

"Well I already knew _that_ , Love, where else would you get it from?" he teased.

"See why you couldn't open it in front of your mother?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I totally could have. She's a lot like your mum, in a lot more ways than you know. I think they're going to get along really well" he said with a laugh.

Soon they heard a car pull up into the driveway and they figured it was the rest of the Morgans coming in from the airport.

They were led inside by Mom and Annie, and I was grateful I didn't have to get up to answer the door.

"Oh my gosh, Rory, don't you dare scare us like that again! Are you okay!?" Evie demanded, coming up to us and hugging me the moment she walked in the door.

"Sorry" I said with a laugh, still being crushed by her hug.

"You've kind of got to let her breathe there, sis. You're killing her" Finn teased her, and she hugged him next.

"I was just so scared for her, and for you! I thought for sure there couldn't have been a decent outcome, but thank god there was! It's a miracle!" She said.

"I'm happy to see you well and healthy as can be considering, Rory. This is a very lovely home you've been given" Nick said, coming over to hug me as well.

"Thanks, and there's a lot to it that I want to change, to make it more "us", but I love it" I said.

Finn's phone rang, and by now I recognized the ring tone was Logan's. "Go ahead and take it. I'll be alright" I said.

He nodded and stepped outside, answering as he walked out.

Finn's POV

"Hey mate, how are things?" I asked.

"Hey, man, they're good! Odette and I are actually making a trip out to the east coast here soon, and I wanted to see if you wanted to get together for dinner and drinks while I'm in town" Logan said.

"Well, I guess before I can answer that, I need to talk with you first" I said.

"You do? Why, is something wrong?" he asked.

"No, not really. In my case not at all. But Rory and I... well… we've sort of made things official on Christmas Eve, and we're actually going to be moving in together. Her grandmum gave her the Hartford house, and she's asked me to live here with her" I said cautiously.

"Wow, man… that's… that's huge. So I take it things are going well, then?" He asked in shock.

"Well, we had a scare. Rory was trying to surprise me by coming to Australia for Christmas, but she wound up putting herself in the hospital before the plane ever even took off. I got here as fast as I could, but my God was I a nervous wreck! She and the babies are fine, by nothing short of a miracle, but Rory can't be left unattended for the rest of the pregnancy" I said.

"Wow, that's intense! I'm really glad she's alright, and the little ones… I mean, I wasn't trying to not invite her to come with you earlier, when I asked you to dinner. She's obviously more than welcome to come as well" he said awkwardly.

"You don't think that's a bad idea? Having her meet Odette?" I asked.

"I don't see why it should be, I mean, we've both moved on, haven't we? I figure we can all be civil adults for dinner" he said with a laugh.

I laughed also, although I wasn't sure how Rory would take the invitation.

"I'll talk to her and see what she thinks. She just got out of the hospital yesterday, so it will depend on how she's feeling, of course. When will you be in town?" I asked.

"Next week, we'll be in Boston" he said.

"Okay, mate. I'll talk to her and see what she thinks, but like I said, we may have to play it by ear based on how she feels. She had to get a blood transfusion and everything, so she's been really tired these days" I told him.

"Okay, no problem. Tell Ace I hope she feels back to normal soon, and I hope we can meet up while I'm there. Just let me know" he said.

"Will do. Have a good night, Logan" I said and hung up the phone.

I exhaled deeply since I wasn't sure how that conversation would pan out.


	71. Chapter 71

Rory's POV

"So, Love, how are you feeling about the changes that Evie's making at the house?" Finn asked me as we were nearing his apartment in Boston. We were going to supervise the packing of his things and bring his SUV and the things he needed immediately back to Hartford with us. We'd elected to use his car service for the trip to Boston so we didn't need to drive separate cars back. He was taking the doctor's orders that I not be left alone quite seriously.

"I'm really excited, actually. After walking through the house with her and talking about what we wanted, I really think it's going to be fantastic. I think she'll work her magic and the house will feel like our home," I answered.

He put his arm around me and I snuggled up close. "I think the thing I'm most excited about is you and I being settled in our home. It will feel more permanent once we're all moved in and the remodeling is finished."

"That will be nice," I agreed. "I can't wait to see what she's done when we get back from Boston."

"About us being in Boston - there's something I need to talk to you about," Finn said softly. I could see the uncertain look on his face.

"Go ahead," I encouraged him.

"Logan and his wife will be in Boston while we're here, and he asked if we wanted to have dinner with them. I didn't know how you would feel about that," he trailed off.

"Oh. Oh, wow. Umm...does she know about...well, that Logan and I were seeing each other while they were together?" I asked. I didn't want to walk into a terrible situation.

"No, they both know that they weren't exclusive prior to their wedding, but she has no idea who he was seeing," he replied, and I exhaled the breath I'd been holding.

"Good. And he knows about us?"

"Yeah, I told him when we spoke, and he knows that we're official and moving in together now," Finn confirmed.

"Okay then, I guess it would be nice to see him again. You're sure it won't be weird for you?"

"No, I'm secure in our relationship," he said with a smile.

"Alright, tell him we'll meet them for dinner," I agreed.

"Thank you, Love. I've missed seeing him," replied Finn.

We pulled up to the curb in front of his apartment and he grabbed our bags and led me into the lobby and then the elevator. We walked into his apartment after we exited the elevator and I smiled as I looked around and thought back to the time we had spent here together.

"It feels like ages since I've been back here," Finn chuckled. "First the trip to Australia and then being in Hartford with you - I guess it's been a few weeks."

"Are you sure you're okay with moving to Hartford? I know that this is your home," I said quietly.

He walked over to me and kissed me softly. "My home is with you and our two little ones," he said with a smile. "This is just an apartment. It's much more important for me to be with my family."

"Your family lives in Boston, silly," I said with a laugh.

"No, my family is right here next to me. Now, are you hungry? We could order some Chinese and relax for the rest of the evening. The movers will be here early tomorrow morning to pack, so I thought a quiet night would be good," he said.

"That sounds perfect. I think I'll go change into some yoga pants and a t-shirt. Is it okay to use your room?" I asked.

"My room?" he said with a laugh. "I tell you what - until I've moved out, it's our apartment and our room. I want you to feel comfortable here, baby."

"Alright then, I'll be right back." I grabbed my bag and walked into _our_ bedroom, still smiling at his insistence that it wasn't just his room. I changed into some sweats and then opened his closet and grabbed one of his t-shirts and slipped it on.

He was just hanging up the phone after ordering the food when I walked into the room. I joined him on the couch and snuggled into his side.

"Nice shirt. You know, I think it looks familiar," he teased.

"Well, I figured if you were willing to share your apartment and your bedroom, surely you were willing to share your shirts with me as well," I said with a laugh.

"Well, when you put it that way, it makes perfect sense. I must say, I love seeing you in my clothes. The only thing better would be seeing you out of them," he said with a sly smile.

"You are a mess," I replied, both of us laughing.

"Ah, but I'm your mess, dear."

I nodded my agreement and walked to the kitchen. "Do you have any coffee?" I called to him.

He walked into the kitchen with me and opened the freezer and pulled out some ground coffee and handed it to me. I began scooping it into a coffee filter while he filled the coffee maker with water. I poured the last scoop of coffee in and took a deep whiff of the heavenly aroma.

"Are you sniffing coffee?" he teased.

"What can I say? Coffee and book sniffing are two of my favorite pastimes."

"You're one-of-a-kind, Rory Gilmore," he chuckled.

"Hey, the same could be said about you, Mr. Mogan! Maybe we're both a bit odd; that just makes us even more interesting as a couple, right?"

"Right you are, baby. Now, how about that coffee?" he asked as the machine finished brewing. He took down two mugs and poured us each a cup of the delicious brew and we settled back on the couch next to each other. We sipped our coffee in silence for a few minutes and I sighed happily.

"Hey, Finn?" I asked.

"Hmm?"

"I love you," I said with a smile.

"I'm so glad you do, baby. Being in love is much more fun when the feelings go both ways."


	72. Chapter 72

Logan's POV

"So I'm confused… I get that you want to see your friend, Finn, is it? But Finn is dating your ex?" Odette asked.

"Yes" I said.

"So it doesn't bother you that we'll be going to dinner with your ex and the guy who is currently sleeping with her?" She asked boldly.

"Well, I mean, I promised you that I was all in and willing to make it work with you, so I don't see why having dinner with an ex is such a weird thing" I said.

"Well, that depends - how recently we're you two together?" She asked.

"Officially? Ten years ago" I said.

"Wow, that's a pretty long time. Sorry, this is just something new for me - I've never stayed friends with my exes before, so going out to dinner with one hasn't really ever crossed my mind before" she said.

"I think you two will actually get along pretty well. You were an English major in college, and Rory loves literature and things like that. I'm sure you'll have a lot you two can talk about academically" I said.

"And it's not weird for you that your best friend got her pregnant and is moving in with her?" She asked.

"Weird, sure, but nothing that I can't handle with you there with me" I schmoozed.

She rolled her eyes at me and laughed, relenting. "Okay, okay. We can go to dinner with them. But if I want to leave, can we leave?" She asked.

"Absolutely. Just send me a text or something under the table and we'll go" I promised.

Finn's POV

"Wow, you look great" I said, kissing her on the forehead as I walked into the bathroom.

"What are you doing?" She asked with a laugh, as I started hogging the mirror.

"What? I haven't seen Logan in a very long time, I have to make sure I look good for my man" I teased, primping.

She laughed and the melodic sound made me smile. "Thank you for doing this, Baby. It really does mean so much to me that you'd be willing to put yourself through this potentially awkward night just to make me happy. I promise, it's not going unnoticed" I told her, looking at her through the mirror.

She smiled back at me and nodded. "Only for you, believe me" she said with a laugh, and I knew she meant it. She wasn't one to put herself into particularly hard situations such as this, and knowing she was doing it for me made the act of it even more important to me.

"What time are we supposed to head out?" She asked.

"Our reservation is at seven, so I ordered a car for six thirty" I said.

"You ordered a car? How come? Plan on drinking a lot?" She teased.

"No, actually, it was only because the SUV is full to the brim, so I figured we could just hire a car for the evening. Is that okay?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course" she said with a laugh and looked at her phone. "It's already 6:15! I'd better start attempting to put my shoes on" she said with a wink and headed out to the bedroom.

God I love that woman.

Rory's POV

We pulled up to the restaurant and he came around to open the door for me. "You ready for this?" He asked, holding his hand out for me.

I took his hand and stepped out of the car. "Yeah, sure, why not! Let's do this" I said with a laugh.

He smiled and put his hand on the small of my back and led me inside.

When we got to the designated table, I could see Logan sitting beside a beautiful blonde woman with exotic features. She was absolutely radiant, and I felt about as big as a whale. Suddenly I was very self-conscious of the ever-growing belly in front of me, and I crossed my arms over my purse in front of me to hide it.

Finn noticed this action, but said nothing, although he was a little confused and alarmed by it.

Logan stood as soon as he saw us, and greeted us with smiles all around. Odette stood up also, and offered her hand to me first.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you, I'm Odette" she said regally.

I smiled a greeting to her and shook her hand. "Hi, Odette, I'm Rory" I said back to her.

"You're glowing! You make pregnancy look amazing, Rory, really! I can't believe you're carrying twins! You're so tiny! I was expecting twins to be much harder on a woman, but you look gorgeous!" She said.

I couldn't tell if her comments were sincere or fake, but I wanted to believe they weren't staged. She seemed nice and polite and good for Logan, and I hoped that was the case.

"Ace, she's right! You look absolutely stunning! How are you feeling?" Logan asked, hugging me cordially.

"Much better than last week, that's for sure" I said with a chuckle and he nodded as if he knew exactly what I was talking about.

We all sat down and conversation flowed. "So Finn, man, wow. I still can't believe you're going to be a father. Of the four of us, you were definitely not one I thought would ever settle down" Logan said.

"I wouldn't have, had it been with anyone else, I assure you. But this one is a special one, and I got extremely lucky, what can I say?" Finn said with a smile from ear to ear, putting his arm around me.

"I was just as surprised as you are - never in a million years did I think Finn Morgan would ever settle down - or that it would be with me, of all people! He wore me down, though. It was hard to say no when he was being so terrific" I said.

"You guys really do seem fantastic for each other. You seem to compliment each other's differences very nicely, sort of how Logan and I do. We have a lot in common, sure, but he and I are very different" Odette interjected.

"Logan's in a league all his own sometimes, but he's a better man because of it, I think" I said with a laugh.

"I'll drink to that!" Logan said with a laugh, holding his glass up in the air.

"So, Logan tells me you're a bit of a literature nut, Rory? I absolutely love classic writings" Odette said, and our conversation continued from there.

The night that I thought would be horrible wound up actually being rather enjoyable. Odette was a very sweet person and she cared a lot for Logan, and it made me happy to see their connection. I was so worried that he had married some insufferable shrew, but she was actually pretty amazing.

Logan and Finn were able to talk as if there was no awkwardness between them, either, now that they've been face to face, and I could see the relief in Finn for that. He was so worried about losing one of his best friends, and it killed me to see him going through that.

Even Logan and I were able to laugh and talk without any weirdness or causing any issues with Finn and Odette. It was strangely one of the most enjoyable nights I've ever had with Logan, and that's because I realized in that moment, he and I were never right for each other - but Finn and I? And Logan and Odette? That was right.

"You okay, baby?" Finn asked, seeing me lost in my thoughts.

I nodded and kissed him. "More than okay. I love you, so much" I whispered, kissing him as the driver pulled away from the curb.


	73. Chapter 73

_**Ashley and I enjoyed writing this story together for quite some time, but as life got busy and she had a baby and then I changed jobs we found ourselves unable to find time to write together. Ashley graciously has continued Ready for Anything so that you still get to finish this amazing story! From here on out, all chapters are written by the amazing Ashley!**_

I looked at the text message I'd received on my phone and smiled. **I'm on my way, Love. See you in ten minutes.**

I sat my phone back down onto the bathroom vanity and put on the finishing touches of makeup, and turned to my side, checking to see how the dress looked in the mirror. Perfect. It fit like a glove and really showcased my flat stomach. I smoothed it down out of habit, although it really didn't need it.

I had been looking for an excuse to wear this dress. Since Logan and I wouldn't be seeing each other anymore, and Paul was just – well – _boring_ – I wasn't sure it would ever make it out of my closet.

I put my essentials into my silver, glittery clutch with a built in portable charger, and put on my silver heels to match. I felt amazing – it's incredible what a little bit of dressing up can do to change your mood. Plus, I hadn't seen Finn in forever, but ever since he heard about how I broke things off with Logan, he has been really sweet and has tried to take care of me. He's made sure that I've wanted for nothing, and that I knew I always had a friend in him, no matter what. That's why when he insisted on taking me out tonight, to relax and try to clear my head, it was a welcomed invitation. Finn and I had always been close; he was my ex boyfriend's best friend, but he was mine, also. I liked Colin, and I liked Robert, but they never tried to make me feel as comfortable and included as Finn has.

There was a knock at the door, breaking me from my thoughts. I rushed to the door to open it for him, and he was standing there in a black, tailored suit. "Wow, you look great! Is this okay for where we're going?" I asked him, since he'd kept the destination a surprise.

"Yes, _absolutely_! You look bloody stunning, darling" he said, taking my hand in his and kissing it. I laughed and checked the mirror once more to make sure I wasn't missing anything. "Are you ready to get out of here?" he asked, looking around my quaint motel room – I couldn't decide if his expression was of wonder or disgust, but I just nodded and let him lead me out of the room.

We arrived to a restaurant I'd only ever heard about, but where they knew Finn by name. I looked over at him, impressed, as he led me to our table, following the hostess, with his hand on the small of my back.

"This place is incredible" I whispered to him and he just smiled.

"We'll take a bottle of your finest white when you get a moment, please" Finn instructed and the host left the table with a nod. Finn turned to look at me and laughed at the expression on my face. "What, Love?" he asked with a laugh.

"Nothing, it's just strange to see you so… _refined_ " I said with a smile.

He chuckled to himself and nodded. "It's been a long time since those days, has it not? We all have to grow up sometime. For now I'd like to think of myself as a Peter Pan type who would never need to grow up – but it will catch up with me one day, I'm sure" he said prophetically.

I laughed and nodded. "Unless somehow you manage to come out of the gauntlet unscathed" I said.

"I _am_ quite agile" he teased with a laugh.

Talking with Finn was easy. It was a sense of comfort I'd never shared with anyone else and it made me happy to know he wasn't going to turn his back on me now that Logan and I were over. With Lane on tour, Paris busy with the clinic, her kids and her divorce, and my mom in the midst of planning her wedding – I needed all the comfort I could get.

"Love? Did you hear me? I asked if you knew what you'd like to order" Finn said, breaking through my thoughts.

"Oh, no, I'm sorry. I haven't decided yet. Have you eaten here often? What do you recommend?" I asked him.

After a very nice dinner with endless conversation, Finn turned to me and asked if I was ready to call it a night. I shrugged, not really wanting to go back to the motel, but also not wanting to get in his way if he had better things to do on a Friday night.

"Tonight is all about you, Love. I don't have a girl queued up on speed dial, I'm not looking to run out of here, so if you'd like to stay out with me, I've got a really great place in mind I could take you to" he said.

"Yeah? And where's that?" I asked.

"It's kind of what I like to call a hidden gem of Hartford – a diamond in the rough, if you will. It's a little rough, but I think that's just part of its charm. It's always got great music, and I like to try and go there a lot when I'm in town. What do you say?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Sure! I'm having fun, so why go home now?" I said.

"That's the spirit! Let's go!" he said, leading me back to the town car. We went only a few miles down the road when the driver stopped the car and let us out. He looked at me and sighed happily. "You're going to love this place" he promised, as he helped me out of the car, and then led me inside.

Once we were in the little run down building, that did in fact look every bit as rough as I'd imagined, it was like we were transported into a whole new place. The inside was nothing like you would expect: it was set up as a speakeasy with a beautiful cherry wood bar, low lighting, and comfortable leather chairs. I turned to look at him, the expression of being impressed was evident on my face.

"Told you it was nice" he said in my ear, and tingles went up my spine and I smiled with a nod. "Let's go get you a drink, and find some seats" he said, leading me towards the bar. "What are you having?" he asked.

"Just a long island is fine" I told him and he nodded in confirmation.

After we had our drinks in our hands, we found a cozy little booth in the back corner, away from everything, and we found we had plenty to talk about.

"This place is really cool, Finn. Thank you for bringing me here" I said.

"Of course! This place is one of the most relaxing places I know of, outside of a private tropical island – just say the word though, and we'll go" he said with a smile, and his eyes were dancing; and they were practically hypnotizing. "You know, not that this helps anything, but for what it's worth, I don't know how in the hell Huntzberger could choose _anyone_ over you" he told me, breaking the trance I was under.

I smiled and looked down. "You're right, it doesn't help anything, but thank you" I said with a smile.

"God you're beautiful when you smile. You're simply gorgeous, Rory" he said softly, looking into my eyes.

"Thank you" I whispered, not really knowing what else to say to that.

"Hey, why don't we go dance!? This song is perfect to let loose and have fun!" he said and I shook my head no. "Oh come on, come dance with me! I promise you'll enjoy it" he said, taking my hand and pulling me up with him.

I laughed and just shrugged. "Okay! …I guess! In omnia paratus!" I said, laughing the entire time, and he pulled me out onto the floor.

I had never laughed as much as I had that night. I was enjoying every bit of my time with Finn, and he made it so easy to just have _fun_ – something I had been strongly lacking. Something happened while we were dancing – I don't know if it was the atmosphere, or the alcohol, but something changed about the way I saw him. And the fact that I could actually see myself _with_ him… No, surely I couldn't date Finn Morgan, the most eligible bachelor on the whole eastern seaboard, with no intentions of settling down. No, but maybe – just maybe – I could have just one night. One night to have him all to myself and forget about everything else. Nothing else mattered. But would he?

A slow song came on when our song was over. He started to lead me back to the table, but I stopped him, put my arms around him boldly, and felt his strong arms holding me delicately. "I thought you didn't like to dance, Love?" he asked in a teasing tone. I didn't answer, I just focused on the moment, and how amazing this night was turning out to be. It was nothing like what I had expected of it, but it was becoming so much better.

After Finn and I decided to get another drink and sit back down a while, as we were talking, I noticed my flirting was getting more and more forward. This wasn't like me! What was I doing!? This was my ex boyfriend's best friend, but I didn't care. The only thing I cared about was right now, in this moment, the heat between us. It was there. It was real. He had to have felt it, too. Before I knew it, I was playing with his hair, and rubbing my thumb over his cheek. His eyes were fixated on mine, and there I was again; hypnotized. I couldn't hold back any longer, and before I knew it, I had leaned in and kissed him. He hesitated at first, as if taken completely by surprise, but then it was like he woke up and deepened the kiss. It was slow, and sweet, and sensual at first, but then it turned hungry, and passionate, and magnetic. Nothing had ever felt as right as how that kiss felt.

I laid awake in bed with Finn, neither of us had expected the turn things would take. I stared up at the ceiling and realized what I had done. Finn would never be the type of guy who could be tied down; he was too wild, too free to tame. Getting involved with him would just cause me pain and I'd had enough of that. No, I couldn't let that happen. I needed to get out before any more damage was done. I turned to him and saw he was asleep, so I snuck out of bed, got myself dressed, and walked out into the night.

"Good morning, baby. Good dream?" Finn asked me, kissing my shoulder as I woke up.

I breathed in deep and sighed. "Mostly. It was a dream about that night we had when I got –pregnant, but the end always makes me sad" I whispered with a slight smile, turning to face him and he kissed me.

"I don't think of it as being sad" he said.

"You don't?" I asked.

"No, I look at it as being exactly what was needed to get us to where we are today. Had anything been any different, we might not be as amazing together as we are right now" he murmured, burying his face into the crook of my neck.

I smiled and laughed as he trailed feather light kisses along my skin, causing goosebumps. "I guess that's a really sweet way to think about it" I whispered, playing with his hair.

"God I love you so much, baby" he whispered between kisses.


	74. Chapter 74

_**Ashley and I enjoyed writing this story together for quite some time, but as life got busy and she had a baby and then I changed jobs we found ourselves unable to find time to write together. Ashley graciously has continued Ready for Anything so that you still get to finish this amazing story! From chapter 43 on, all chapters are written by the amazing Ashley!**_

I woke up with a start and glanced at the video monitor stationed on the wall beside our bed. I sighed, realizing it was Liam again, and sleepily made my way to his room to offer him a bottle and some cuddles. Finn and I have a rule, that we take turns getting up when the twins cry, but Liam was doing most of the fussing these past few nights. Everyone has been telling me about Colic, but as I did more research, I learned that Colic is just a blanket diagnosis for when the doctor can't, or won't take the time, to find out what's really wrong. We have an appointment with a GI specialist in the morning, but that can't come soon enough with all of his crying.

"Hey there, handsome boy! What's all of this crying for? Does your tummy hurt? Come here, buddy, let's get your diaper changed, and then I'll make you a bottle and see if you're hungry or just fussy" I told him in a caring tone. Despite my exhausted, zombie-like state, and the fact that I most likely look like a hot mess who hasn't seen a shower in days, I wouldn't trade any of it. Growing up, I was never sure that being a mother was ever going to feel right to me, but I knew in my heart I had been wrong - so very wrong. I couldn't have ever imagined what it would feel like to have someone depend on me so helplessly, or to feel the immense amount of pressure that motherhood has brought me - let alone to have everything multiplied by two - but I was enjoying it. Even though I still have no idea what in the world I'm doing, and after two months of Liam's excessive crying and wanting to pull my hair out, I was still grateful every single day for my beautiful family - Liam, Brielle, and Finn.

Oh, Finn. I could write a book about the amazing things that man does. He has taken fatherhood by the horns and has done everything in his power to be the best dad. He takes off work for doctor's appointments, arranges family photo sessions, hired a lady to come in a couple nights a week to clean and cook for us since I've been so exhausted - even though I tried to protest, but he insisted - and boy am I happy about that now! He works from home as much as he can, and we've been talking about taking a vacation as soon as we feel comfortable leaving the babies - although I can't imagine being away from them for a week, so he's also offered to arrange for them and both grandmas to come with us so we're not away from them, but we can still unwind and have some 'us' time. He tried to hire me a nanny, but I put my foot down. I told him I would agree to letting his or my mom stay with us for a day or a week here and there, but that I didn't want to have permanent help. I wanted to be able to do this myself - plenty of other moms have been able to, as well as hold down a job, and that is my goal as well. I don't want someone else to raise my children and they not know me - I want to make my mom proud of me and the instincts that I inherited from her.

Liam took in the whole bottle that I made for him, and after a burp, I thought he was ready to go back to bed, so I laid him in his crib and walked away. I didn't even make it to the door when he started to cry again. "Liam" I whispered in frustration, making my way back to the crib to pick him up again and pat his back. I tried to sit back down with him in the rocking chair, but he wasn't having it, so I stood back up, and jiggled a little as I walked. "Do you want to go for a walk? Let's go for a walk and see if that helps to make you sleepy" I told him, making my way out the nursery door.

We walked down the hall and I reminisced about the way the house looked before, compared to the way it looks now after the redecorating and renovations. Floor to ceiling, wall to wall, every single thing was different. I walked to the bottom of the staircase, which had been redone and modernized leading back up to the loft-style landing that had been created out of the smallest bedroom. Some of the walls downstairs were removed to create a more open floor plan. Many, many enhancements were made, everything was updated, no detail was forgotten, and it made me happy and sad all at the same time. Everything had such a sleek, clean, modern feel to it. I made my way into the kitchen which had been modified with a half wall, opening up to the dining room, creating more countertop and cabinet space. The appliances were brand new and a gorgeous stainless steel. There was a massive custom cabinet surrounding the refrigerator and there was a double oven with a separate warming compartment. The dining room had a large, solid Cherrywood table with eight matching chairs all around, and additional chairs were stationed nearby. I remembered the time when we first saw all of the changes.

 _"Finn..." I asked._

 _"Yeah?" he asked._

 _"Your sister is amazing...!" I whispered in awe, finding something new every time I took another look._

 _"I told you she'd make it perfect for you" he said with a smile._

 _"Perfect is so much an understatement right now" I told him, still taking it all in._

 _He took me into his arms. "Welcome to our home" he whispered, kissing me on the top of my head. I threw my arms around his neck and held on tight. I remembered thinking 'Our home! I couldn't believe this was our home! Together!' Everything about it had felt so right, and so amazing, I almost couldn't stand it. "What do you say we go have some tea and relax, and then we can talk about how we want to decorate the nurseries?" he asked me._

 _"You actually want to be involved in that, too?" I remembered asking in surprise_

 _"Absolutely! Haven't you figured out by now that I'm not the typical society dad? Nothing's going to keep me from sharing all of these experiences with you" he promised with a laugh._

 _I smiled and nodded. "I love that so much about you" I told him. I don't think anything I'd ever said before that point had ever been more true._

"Hey, what are you two doing down here? Is everything alright?" Finn asked, gently wrapping his arms around me from behind.

I smiled and leaned back into him. "Our son can't sleep, and it was my turn to get up with him, so I took him for a little walk" I told him.

"I'm up, so I'll take him. You go try and get some rest, Sweetheart. BriBri's due to wake up in about two hours, so with any luck, you can at least sleep that long" he whispered with a kiss to the top of my head, and taking Liam from my arms before I had a chance to object.

"You're too good to me" I whispered, already starting to yawn.

"That's my job. Now go before I change my mind" he teased with a wink, and I turned to go towards the stairs, but I came back and kissed him deeply, before heading to bed, leaving him with a smile on his face.


	75. Chapter 75

Finn and I went out with Evie and Patrick to our first night out without the babies; we went to our favorite Italian restaurant for dinner.

"Gosh, I can't remember the last time Patrick and I were able to go out and have a date night – even if it is with my brother" Evie teased and I laughed.

"And get used to it, because you don't get chances often to spend time alone together" Patrick said.

"I guess it gets hard to make time for each other with little ones, huh?" I asked, starting to realize this was what our life was destined to become.

"Yeah, it can be, but you just have to make your relationship a priority, really. Date nights don't have to be out away from the kids. Sometimes you can have family date nights, and sometimes you can have date nights at home, after the kids go to sleep" she said.

"That's what we usually do. We make dinner to where it's ready at their bed time, so then we just eat dinner late and watch a movie on the couch. Sometimes we make it a little more romantic with candlelight, but generally speaking, we just try and spend as much undivided time together as we can" Patrick said.

"It's so important to make sure you're making time for each other and putting the effort in, because that's a huge reason why people split up – or at least in my opinion – because they're so busy taking care of the kids' needs that they forget that their spouse has needs, too." She said.

"You seem like you really know what you're talking about!" I said, a mixture between being impressed and terrified.

"We hit a rough patch a couple years ago, and we were fighting all the time. Andrew was nearly two years old and having major sleep regression, and we couldn't get him out of our bed at night, or he wouldn't sleep. Evie and I actually ended up sleeping in separate rooms, because I could never get a restful night's sleep with him wind milling around, and I needed to be at my best for work the next day" Patrick said.

"Yeah, it got really bad. We eventually virtually stopped speaking altogether, only to fight about bills and the kids, really. And the messes…oh the messes. It nearly broke us. We almost didn't make it. We despised each other so much, that we were about to let it all go, but then one day we were sitting together in the car, on a rare occasion that we went anywhere together, and an ad for a weekend marriage counseling retreat came on the radio, and we both felt compelled to give it a shot. And thank God we did, because I'd be lost without him. We were to the point where we couldn't even stand to look at each other anymore, basically rock bottom, and we got ourselves back up to a relationship that our friends tell us they envy" she said.

"Yeah, well, we're not exactly in the market for marriage counseling, Evie. We've had enough thrown at us rather quickly, we've purposely put off talking about marriage - but we'll keep that in mind should we ever need one in the future" Finn said with a laugh.

"Maybe you don't need marriage counseling now, but if you start off doing the same things that we used to build ourselves back up, then you should never have a chance to fall apart in the first place" Patrick said.

"How in the hell did this dinner get so serious in the first ten minutes of conversation!?" Finn asked with a laugh.

"He's right, let's talk about something more lighthearted. So Rory, how is motherhood treating you? Finn says you're a natural!" she said with a smile.

I smiled and shrugged. "I love it, which is weird because I never thought I would be cut out for kids, but they're pretty great" I said.

"Especially since the GI doctor realized that poor Liam was having a milk allergy and reflux, now we've got him on a special hypoallergenic formula, some liquid Pepcid and a probiotic each morning and he's a new baby!" Finn said.

"My theory was right! I've only been a mom for two months, but I knew babies don't cry for no reason! His little tummy hurt, and now he's all better and he's just the happiest little guy!" I gushed.

"I still can't wrap my head around the fact that I have a niece and a nephew, Finn! I'm still in shock!" Evie exclaimed.

"Well, believe it, because they're getting bigger and bigger every day" Finn told her.

"Like, I'm actually an aunt! Biologically, even! I really never thought I'd get the chance, so I just hope you know that these babies are going to be spoiled rotten!" she said happily.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, little sister" Finn said, putting an arm around her and kissing her on the top of the head.

"I'm really happy our kids will have an aunt to be close to. I'm not close with my half-sister or my stepsister, so if it weren't for you, they'd only have our friends as aunts and uncles" I told her.

"I can't even tell you how happy I am, and I'm especially grateful that you and I are able to get along so well! I'm so, so happy he picked you to be the only girl he ever cared about settling down with!" she exclaimed happily.

"Me too" I said, giving a sideways glance to Finn, and he smiled at me.

"I love you" I told him, resting onto him.

"I love you too, baby girl" he said, resting a hand on mine.

"Okay guys, you're making me sick. Dial down the vomit factor a little bit and tone down the cute. I'd like to keep the dinner I'm about to eat" Evie teased us with a laugh.

After Finn and I got home and put the little ones into their cribs for the night, we went to relax on the couch and recollect about the conversations we'd had with Evie and Patrick.

"I had no idea they'd ever had any problems… I feel really awful that she felt she couldn't come to me about something like that" he said.

I nodded and leaned against him as he absent-mindedly started to play with my hair. "They're so happy now, though, so whatever marriage counselor they went to must have been amazing, based on the way they were saying they were when they were fighting" I admitted.

"I hope you and I never get to that point. I don't know what I'd do without you in my life, Love" he said.

I turned to him and nuzzled into his chest. "Me neither. I never would have guessed in a million years that things for us would work out this way, but I love you so much. You're it for me" I promised him. He smiled and kissed me on the forehead.

"And you for me, Baby" he whispered, holding me close. "It's getting late. How about we head upstairs and get some rest? Our darling children will be up early as usual tomorrow morning and we need to be prepared for that" he teased.

I laughed and nodded. "Yeah, let's go" I said, standing up and taking him by the hand. He smiled mischievously and before I had a chance to wonder what he was up to, he pulled me back down onto his lap and kissed me. "That seems a little counter-productive" I teased him with a giggle and he smiled at me.

"No way. This is exactly what we should be doing right now, and every chance we get from here on out" he growled, causing me to laugh more. He looked into my eyes deeply and kissed me once again, slowly, and passionately. "Let's go upstairs" he murmured, pressing his forehead to mine, and I nodded, biting my lip, as I let him lead me away.

I woke up to the smell of pancakes and bacon with a smile. I glanced at the clock and saw that Finn had let me sleep in, which means he'd gotten up with both the babies this morning. He's so good to me. I put my robe on over my night shirt and made my way downstairs to see a sight to behold. Finn was dancing around the kitchen with both babies in their bouncers watching him intently as he sang to them while he made breakfast. I just leaned against the doorway, watching the scene play out in front of me with a big smile on my face. The singing stopped when I'd been spotted, and he looked like a deer in headlights. I laughed and motioned for him to continue, but his mood changed when he saw me. "Did I do something wrong?" I asked in surprise, chuckling lightly as confusion set in.

"N-no. Of course not. I just wasn't expecting you up so early is all" he said as I poured myself a mug of coffee.

"So what is all this? Someone's in an awfully happy mood! What's going on?" I asked him curiously.

"The twins and I are celebrating" he said.

"Oh yeah? And what are you three celebrating?" I asked, humoring him.

He let out a sigh, his eyes getting serious. "You sure do know how to ruin a plan, Gilmore" he teased.

I turned around to put the coffee pot back on the warmer. "What did I ruin? To be fair, I merely walked down the stairs" I defended, turning back around to face him and gasped when I realized what was happening.

Finn. Morgan. Long time running 'Most Eligible Bachelor' had a diamond ring in his hand, and was down on one knee right in front of me!

"Because we decided that today is the day that we wanted to ask their beautiful mum to marry me" he spoke in a voice that gave me the most intense feelings I've ever experienced in my life.


	76. Chapter 76

"Hey kid, how are you and my favorite grandbabies doing today?" Lorelai asked after I answered the door and she was standing there on the other side.

I laughed at the sight of her. "We're fine, but you know I've told you over and over that you can just walk in" I reminded her for the thousandth time.

"I know, I know, but I can't help it. Even though the inside looks completely different, from the outside, it's still very much Richard and Emily Gilmore's house, and for that I will probably never feel comfortable just walking in" she said, and I laughed again.

"So what you're saying is I need to make changes to the outside to make you feel more comfortable?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes! Exactly!" she said, hanging her purse on the coat rack by the door and making her way inside. "So where are my two favorite grandbabies, anyway?" she asked.

"You are aware that they're your only grandbabies, right?" I reminded her.

"Meh, minor details" she said waving my comment away.

"They're napping, they only just laid down about thirty minutes ago, so no you can't go wake them up" I said sternly, cutting her off at the pass and she pouted.

"Spoilsport" she grumbled.

I laughed and walked to the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee. "So what's up? Just in the neighborhood?" I asked her, getting two mugs out of the cabinet.

"Actually, I just wanted to come by and visit. It's a special day, you know! Can you believe it's been a year already since you told us their genders!? It's so hard to believe that they're already six months old!" she said reminiscing back on all of the milestones over the last year.

"I know, and that they've already had their first Christmas!" I said happily.

"And that you and Finn have officially been together for over a year" she reminded me and I nodded with a smile.

"Yeah, it's been a whirlwind of a year, but it's been the best year of my life" I said wistfully with a smile.

She smiled back and nodded. Finn and I decided the best way to make sure we got to spend the holidays with both our families was to invite my mom, Luke and Grandma to Australia with us, that way we could spend time with everyone all at once. We also made arrangements to spend the whole day before we left with my dad, so that he wasn't excluded.

"I still can't believe it's been a whole year since we had a party, right here in this very room, announcing that I was going to have one of each" Lorelai said and I laughed.

"That you were going to have one of each, huh?" I teased.

She laughed. "You know what I mean. In some ways though, it feels like it should be way more than a year. It feels like they've always been a part of our lives, it's hard to imagine life before them now" she said.

I smiled and nodded, knowing exactly what she meant. "I still can't believe you tackled Finn when he played that joke on everyone" I told her.

"You can't scare a person with triplets and get away with it!" she blurted out, and we both laughed.

Finn had brought out a third box after the first two boxes had been opened, and my mom about had a heart attack. When it was opened, though, the balloon said "Just kidding! There's only two!" and she tackled him and was hitting him and really laying it on him, Luke had to pull her off.

"That was a fun party. Just think, next we'll be having a wedding here!" I said.

"I still don't understand why you're getting married here of all places" she said.

"I don't know, it's symbolic, and important to both of us. We have a lot of emotional memories tied to this house, and I want the day to be more about that than the wedding itself. I want it to be about family, and the marriage. I just don't want to get all caught up in the details and lose sight of what's really important" I reminded her. Something else I'd told her for the thousandth time.

"There are just so many places we could make look incredible for you. And I can take care of everything, you don't have to get swept up in the details" she said.

"Mom, this is important to me. I want small, close family and friends only, in our home. That would mean more to me than any big fancy party you could come up with" I promised.

She nodded, disappointedly, but she didn't rebut. "As long as it's perfect for you, that's what's important to me" she said with a big smile.

"Thanks, mom" I said with a big smile of my own.

"So is there anything at all that I can do to help?" she asked.

"Actually, I've got the perfect job for you… And Kirk" I said with a laugh at the expression on her face.

"Hey, baby. How was your day? I missed you" Finn said, walking in the door that evening and setting his messenger bag on the kitchen bar stool and took off his coat and scarf. It wasn't unusual that Finn would have to go into the office, but he had meetings scheduled all day, so it was an uncharacteristically long day away from home for him.

"My day wasn't bad, the babies were fairly easy today and my mom came over for a little while. We talked about the babies, and the wedding, although she's not happy that I'm making her team up with Kirk" I said in amusement.

He chuckled and kissed the top of my head with an arm wrapped around my waist. "I imagine she wouldn't be too thrilled about it" he said. He looked at the time on his phone and I could tell by the expression on his face that he was disappointed. "They're already in bed for the night, aren't they?" he asked.

"Yeah, they only just laid down about twenty minutes ago. I tried to keep them up for you, but they were getting really tired and cranky" I said.

He nodded. "It's okay, babe. I'm just happy I have you to keep me company. Have you already eaten?" he asked.

"No, not yet. I was waiting to have dinner with you" I said, taking the meal from the fridge. I'd gotten a lot better at cooking these days. Usually we prepare dinner together, but I wanted to surprise him with something special tonight.

"What's this?" he asked, impressed.

"Dinner" I said with a shrug. I'd made lasagna earlier, because I wanted something easy to heat up later. I popped the platter into the oven and shut the door. "It's already done, it just needs to heat back up" I said.

"Thank you, baby" he said, kissing the top of my head, before going to the cupboard to get a pair of wine glasses, and then went to the wine cooler to select my favorite moscato. "Come on, let's go relax" he said, leading me over to the couch as we waited for dinner to finish cooking.

"Finn, can I ask you something…?" I asked.

"Yeah, of course" he said, putting his arm along the back of the couch and I leaned into his side.

"Do you think we're crazy? For wanting to get married here, I mean? My mom seems to think it's a terrible idea" I said.

"We should get married wherever you feel would be the most perfect for you, for us. It doesn't really matter where your mum thinks we should get married, or Emily… And personally, I don't care if it's here, a park, a church, or at a landfill. I just want to marry you, Rory" he said with a smile as he kissed me. I smiled back and kissed him, too.

"You know just what to say to bring me back to reality" I whispered.

"Do I know what to say, or do I know what to do?" he asked, kissing me again. I laughed and nodded.

"Do I have to choose?" I asked sweetly, kissing him again, wrapping my arms around his neck. He shook his head and smiled.

"Don't be daft. Of course you don't" he whispered, I smiled and leaned my head on his shoulder as he flipped on the TV. "You are going to be the most beautiful bride in the world, Rory Gilmore. I can promise you that" he whispered, wrapping his arm around me.

"You know, I never would've thought in a million years that we'd end up here, together, but you know? I wouldn't have it any other way." I promised.

He smiled and nodded. "I love you so much, Rory" he whispered.

"I love you too, Finn" I whispered back, with my own smile from ear to ear.


	77. Chapter 77

Rory's POV

We were seated in our soft, silky, luxurious robes in the conjoined sitting room of our master bedroom, scattered around the coffee table. It was just the most important women in my life and me. Mimosas were in our glasses and also a premixed bottle of it was on ice in the center of the table, along with two fresh bouquets of some of the most fragrant flowers I've ever smelled in vases on either side. We were relaxed, chatting, and simply enjoying the moment. Nerves for typical brides would be on high alert, but today, I was as calm as could be, and I was anything but a typical bride.

My mom, grandma, Evie, Annie, Brielle and even Finn's grandma who flew in from Australia for the first time in ages, were all in attendance. The photographer was capturing every single candid moment; every smile, every laugh, every beautiful memory; documenting this day so that I could remember it for so many more to come.

"I think it's about time we start to get our beautiful bride ready for her big day" my mom announced to the gathered group, and everyone immediately began to get even more excited and eager. I walked into the bedroom area with my mom who helped me dress, while Annie helped get Brielle ready. Finn and I decided not to have honor attendants, since we didn't want to choose between our friends, but that the twins would be our ring bearer and flower girl. Our mothers would sign the marriage license for us as our witnesses, and we truly were trying to be as simplistic as possible.

I wore a stunning ivory dress that had a beaded waistline, but was otherwise very simplistic. The neckline, the cut, the waistline – it was all very classically elegant. I wore my hair smoothed into a side ponytail with curls cascading down the front of my left shoulder and a diamond barrette as the only decoration. I chose not to wear a veil, and opted for a thin chain necklace with a diamond pendant, small diamond dangle earrings and a thin diamond tennis bracelet on my right wrist.

"You look absolutely beautiful, Rory. I doubted your low-key, simplistic day, but I must say – less is certainly more when it comes to you. You're the most beautiful bride I've ever seen" my mom whispered, dabbing her eyes with the handkerchief that I'd had personalized for her to commemorate the day.

"Thanks, mom" I whispered, doing a little spin for the full effect and she laughed.

"You do that, and all I can see is my sweet little girl back in Miss Patty's dance studio failing miserably at ballet lessons. You've come a long way since then, though, kid. I'm so proud of you" she whispered. I smiled and looked up as Annie walked in with Brielle and it was my turn to well up a little.

"Aww, BriBri, you look precious!" I gushed, seeing her in her flower girl dress, covered in so much tulle she looked like a little ballerina herself. I may have gone the simplistic route with my dress, but this one was just too adorable to pass up for her. Annie had situated a crown of flowers on her head and she also wore a diamond tennis bracelet and necklace that matched my own, as well as a pair of diamond post earrings. Aunt Evie had taken her to get her ears pierced for her first birthday, and I was so angry at first, but once I came to terms with how adorable she looked, I couldn't stay angry.

"Ma ma ma ma" she babbled, reaching for me. I took her in my arms and she played with the sparkly pendant and 'ooh'd' at it, causing us all to laugh at this sweet girl.

Finn's POV

I was surrounded by the men that I cared for most in my life. My dad, granddad, Luke, Chris, and Liam, of course. Colin, Robert and Logan would all be arriving shortly. Logan and I had been able to completely amend our friendship, and he was very happy with Odette, much to his surprise, and so Rory and I had decided to invite them.

"How're you holding up, son?" dad asked and I smiled.

"I'm anxious, I'll give you that" I said.

"Cold feet?" he asked.

"Nah. I'm all toasty warm and ready to go" I said and he chuckled.

"Good man. And you've got yourself a good woman. She seems to be absolutely perfect for you, and I couldn't be happier. She reminds me a lot of your mother, you know. And that's one of the highest compliments I can pay her" he said, patting me on the back.

"Thanks, dad. That means everything" I said with a smile. He reached out his hand for a handshake, which I reciprocated, but then I pulled him in for a hug. "I love you, dad. I've learned how to take care of my family from you. I've looked up to you my whole life, and I just hope I can make you proud."

"Don't be daft, Finnick. You already have. You're a successful businessman, a loving family man, and you've found the balance between both worlds. I couldn't be any prouder of you if I tried!" he said in surprise.

"I just hope to be able to be a fraction of the dad and husband you've been in your lifetime" I told him. Liam toddled in, wearing his little suit, and I melted into a ball of putty on the floor, gripping my chest with my hand. "Well, aren't you just the cutest little thing I've seen today!?" I asked him, scooping him up in my arms.

Luke walked out and smiled awkwardly. "I did my best, but I'm no good with suits" he said, gesturing towards Liam.

"He's my handsome boy! Thanks, Luke. You're a terrific granddad. And you, mister, are very lucky to have so many amazing men in your life to help you grow up to be big, and strong, and keep mum and I on our toes" I said, turning my attention back to Liam who giggled as I tickled him.

"Are you ready for day one of the rest of your life?" Chris asked, patting me on the back.

"I'm so ready. Thank you for the role you've played in all of this, as well. Without all of you working together, mainly to get me to pull my head out of my own ass, this day might not have happened, and I couldn't be more grateful for each and every one of you" I told him, as well as all of the men in the room.

"Are we too late?" Colin asked, walking in the room, with Robert and Logan right on his heels.

"No! You're right on time! I'm so glad you guys could be here with us!" I said happily.

"We wouldn't miss it, Finn. Love looks good on you, mate" Robert said with a smile.

"Hey man, I'm really happy for you guys, and I'm happy you're allowing me to be a part of your day. It means a lot" Logan said, reaching out for a handshake. This time I didn't even bother with the formalities, I just pulled him in for a tight hug and laughed.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, mate! We're like brothers!" I said, and Liam reached for Logan, wanting to be held.

"Can I?" he asked.

"Don't be a fool, Huntzberger. Hold your nephew when he asks, would ya?" I told him with a wink, and then smiled as one of my best friends took my son in his hands and smiled one of the biggest smiles I'd ever seen on his face.

"I'm about to be a dad, too, you know!? Did I tell you!?" he asked, his face lighting up with excitement.

"No! You hadn't said! Congratulations, mate! I'm happy for you! This calls for a drink!" I said, walking over to the bar and pouring everyone a shot of Macallan. "To new beginnings, new paths we're each taking in our lives, and to becoming the men we were destined to be. To growing up!" I toasted.

"To growing up!" The others responded with clinking glasses and emptied them.

The music started to play, and the stage was set. The great room had been transformed beautifully, and you'd have never been able to guess it was set inside of someone's home – thanks to Lorelai and Kirk's extraordinary vision and talents.

Finn's grandparents started the processional, and making their way to their seats. Next, Nick and Annie were accompanied by Liam who was in the middle, each of them holding hands with him as they walked together down the aisle. Once they were seated, Lorelai and Emily walked down in the same fashion, holding hands with Brielle, and taking their seats.

Finally, the music changed, and this time it was Rory who was accompanied down the aisle, by both of her dads, Chris and Luke. Her eyes met Finn's, who had lost his breath the moment he saw her, and they exchanged a sweet smile. The trio made their way down the aisle, but Finn couldn't wait, and met them before they'd made it to their stopping place. There were some laughs and awws throughout the room, but neither Finn, nor Rory heard them, as in this moment, time stood still, and they were the only two in the room. And in true Finn and Rory tradition, they did things backwards, and Finn leaned down and kissed his bride before the wedding even started.


	78. Epilogue

Rory's POV

"Mom, I'm really scared" Brielle said, sounding like a little girl again. I smiled and held her hand, brushing a piece of hair from her face that had fallen into her eyes.

"I know you're scared, sweetheart, but it will all be okay, I promise you" I assured her as she gripped my hand tighter.

"Do you think Daddy's being nice to Mason?" she asked, looking up at me with pleading eyes.

"I'm sure he is, you know your dad. He likes to have his fun, but he really likes Mason" I promised her. "If he didn't, he never would've let him marry his little girl."

She took a deep breath and nodded, trying to focus on happy things. She was starting to lose her composure; it wouldn't be long now.

"Where is he? I need him" she said.

"He'll be right back, honey" I promised her, and then I looked down at my watch and smiled. "Do you know what time it is?" I asked.

She shook her head silently.

"Well, it's 11:54pm on April 8th, and it seems to me that something really important happened at this time, twenty four years ago" I fished, and I watched the smile cross her face as she realized what I was getting at. I crawled in bed beside her and decided to reminisce with her, just like I've done every year at this time on their birthday – this was the first time I was missing the chance to talk to Liam, but he said he understood, because he knew his 'little sister' needed me.

"Twenty four years ago today, I was in labor having not one, but two babies. I had had a whirlwind pregnancy, certainly not without its terrifying complications, and then one day my water broke, at almost thirty three weeks. Now, needless to say, your dad and I were going out of our minds – your dad especially. We had nothing packed for the hospital, nothing ready to go, but we did have your nurseries decorated because that's the very first thing I made sure we did when we moved in. You were born so early, that you came before your baby shower, and we had to cancel! Anyway, there it was, late at night, and I'd been pushing for hours, but I wasn't making any progress. That's when my doctor decided that we should do a caesarean to make sure you two came out safely. And just like that, you were both born a minute apart – at 11:53 and 11:54pm on the happiest day of my life" I said, looking over at her with a smile, and she was smiling back. She'd heard the story a thousand times, and there was more to it than that, such as the scares they gave us that earned them a longer stay in the NICU, but the doctor came in to check on her and interrupted the story.

"How are we doing, everything okay?" he asked Brielle, and she nodded her response.

"Alright, well, it looks like it's the time we've all been waiting for. Let's have a baby, shall we?" he asked, speaking in medical jargon to the nurse that came in with him.

"Mom! I need Mason!" Brielle panicked, grasping onto my shirt.

I chuckled lightly and nodded. "He's right outside the door, I'll go get him" I said happily, and hurried out the door to go get my son-in-law.

Finn's POV

Mason had gone into Brielle's room, and Rory was standing right outside, just in case something happened, she wanted to be close. I looked over at the handsome young man beside me and smiled at the thought: man, Rory and I sure knew how to make some incredibly good-looking kids. Noticing I was staring at him, Liam looked up and laughed. "What, dad?" he asked.

"Nothing, I just can't believe your mum and I got so lucky, is all. You and your sister are pretty amazing, you know?" I asked him.

He just laughed and shook his head. He was silent for another moment, before finally asking a question. "Hey dad?"

"Yeah, son?"

"How did you know when you wanted to stop jumping from girl to girl and just settle down to be with mom? Like, how do you know it's right?" he asked.

I was taken by surprise, since Liam was a lot like me when I was younger – rarely kept the same girl around long enough for Rory or I to be able to remember their names, and it was never, ever serious. "Well, I don't know, really… I just – did. You see, she dated Uncle Logan in college, and I thought she was gorgeous then, but I took too long to come to my senses and he asked her out first. The more I got to know her, the more I wanted to know. Through the years, I got better at hiding the crush I had on her, until one day, after I'd taken her out just as friends, we got a little too drunk and got carried away. And we got you two. And we got some of the best experiences of our entire lives that were either purely accidental, or nothing short of destiny… I – uh – sorry, Liam. I really don't know how to answer your question… I don't know when I knew, I just knew…" I told him.

The story wasn't a new one, they'd heard it time and time again. We were very honest with them about how we started our journey as the four of us right from the very beginning. On one hand it was a way to include them in every aspect of our lives and not keep secrets from them, but mainly, it was a scare tactic! We didn't want any grandbabies before they were old enough and ready to become parents – even though I think we turned out alright, even as unprepared as we were.

"I think I'm in love, Dad…" Liam said, and his words took me by surprise.

"Really? Liam, those are words I wasn't sure I'd ever hear you say. How long have you two been dating?" I asked.

"A couple months, but for me that's a record… Her name's Sierra, and she's amazing, dad. She reminds me a lot of Mom" he said.

I smiled from ear to ear, and suddenly I couldn't wait to meet the girl. I knew she had to be pretty great to get him to admit he had feelings for her, let alone being in love. "I can't wait to meet her, son. She sounds lovely" I told him proudly.

Lorelai's POV

Mom and I walked into the hospital room to meet our newest addition to the family; she was getting around quite well for her age – she was ninety six now – and still living alone. She was as opinionated as ever, but her spitfire nature carried her on through life. She never remarried; she was happy being alone and free to do as she pleased. "Oh, Brielle, honey, you look amazing! Are you sure you just gave birth!? You're simply stunning, Sweetheart!" she exclaimed as she caught a glimpse of her great granddaughter. Rory, Finn and Liam were also in the room visiting with Brielle and Mason, who was doting over her holding the baby in her arms like the proud daddy that he was.

"Thanks, Gran, but I sure don't feel stunning right now" Brielle said with a laugh.

"You look like me, of course you're gorgeous" Liam chimed in and we all laughed.

"So can I meet my great granddaughter?" I asked, kissing Brielle on the top of the head.

"Well… No. I'm sorry, but you can't… That's just not possible…" Brielle said, dragging out her words reluctantly.

I looked at her in surprise. "You're going to deprive me of that sweet little girl?" I asked with a laugh.

"Not exactly… Grandma, I'd like you to meet your grandson… We named him Gilmore" she said, looking up at me with a smile and held the baby out for me to take.

"Grandson?" I asked in surprise.

"He pulled a trick on all of us, it seems" Mason said with a laugh, who was clearly ecstatic. He'd wanted a boy the whole time, although he had been warming up to the idea of a daughter.

"Gilmore Niewald" I said softly, looking into his eyes as they peeped open.

"Gilmore Finnick Niewald" Brielle corrected, looking up at her dad who was trying to hide the tears in his eyes.

"Well that's some name!" mom said with a laugh, and brushed her hand across the baby's forehead. "Richard would've loved to meet you, Baby Gilmore" she whispered with a ghost of a smile.

"We need a picture. We've got five generations here, and that just doesn't happen very often. I'd like a picture of all my girls, and my tough little grandson" Finn said, trying to put on a rugged exterior, even though I knew him well enough to know he'd already melted a few times over this whole experience.

When things had settled down, I looked over and could see Rory and Finn sharing a sweet moment together, reflecting on the day, and their family, and I couldn't help but smile at the way he loved her. Then, I turned to look at Brielle who had Mason doting on her. He took care of her so well, I couldn't be happier. And Liam, my sweet Liam was holding onto his baby nephew like he never wanted to let him go. I just knew that they were going to become the best of friends. Luke and Chris would be coming at any time, and Nick and Annie were flying in from Australia at this very moment; this little baby boy was already loved more than he will ever know.

The End.


End file.
